W1 Are EuroHockey Club Trophy I Champions
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women became the first English team since Holcombe in 2018 to win the EuroHockey Club Trophy I after defeating Belgian club, KHC Dragons 4-3 in the final in Hamburg on Monday.
KHC Dragons had won the Trophy for the previous two years, beating German club Mannheimer 1-0 on both occasions, but their run was ended by a determined Surbiton team.
Holcombe had beaten Spanish club Junior 4-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw in the 2018 final in Dublin before losing 3-1 to Club Campo de Madrid at home in 2019, the last season that an English team won the final.
After a goalless first quarter there was a hectic four goals in six minutes spell which ultimately saw the teams go in at half time on level terms at 2-2.
Giselle Ansley gave Surbiton the lead from a 23rd minute penalty corner, only for Dragons to instantly respond, Manuela Vila levelling from open play a minute later. Hannah French restored Surbiton's lead in the 26th minute, but Fleur Verboven equalised a second time for KHC Dragons a minute before half time.
The score was still 2-2 at the end of the third quarter, but a quick double strike from Sophie Hamilton with goals in the 49th and 52nd minutes gave Surbiton one hand on the trophy.
But the defending champions weren't going to give up their hard won title without a fight, and scored a third goal with captain, Valerie Magis scoring from the penalty spot with just three minutes to play.
Surbiton maintained their one goal advantage until the final whistle and followed Slough in 1983, Reading in 2013, Leicester in 2014 and Holcombe in 2018 as Trophy champions.
Club an der Alster finished third after beating MSC Sumchanka 5-0, Watsonians beat Slavia Prague 4-2 to finish fifth and Wettingen defeated Butterfly Roma for a seventh-placed finish.
More information about the Women's EuroHockey Club Trophy I tournament can be found at the EHF Altius website here
In the Men's Hockey League third-placed playoff, Old Georgians beat Rot-Weiss Köln 3-2 thanks to a goal from Alan Forsyth and two goals from Chris Proctor. Tom Grambusch converted two penalty corners for Rot-Weiss.
Pinoké beat Kampong 1-0 in the final, Alexander Hendrickx's tenth minute penalty stroke the only goal of the match.
Mannheimer women, who had lost the last two Trophy finals, lost the Euro Hockey League final 2-1 to hosts AH&BC Amsterdam. Freeke Moes and Fay van der Elst gave Amsterdam a 2-0 lead with Charlotte Gerstenhofer scoring for Mannheimer.
SCHC beat Junior 3-2 to finish third. Mette Winter, Yibbi Jansen and Pien Dicke scored for SCHC, Vicky Granatto and Georgina Oliva replied for Junior.
In the Men's Club Hockey Trophy Final, Cardiff & Met lost 4-2 to Lisnagarvey of Ireland. Owain Dolan Gray and Ieuan Davies scored for Cardiff with Andrew Williamson scoring twice for Lisnagarvey with Ryan Getty and Oiiver Kidd also scoring for the Irish side.
More information about all the European tournaments can be found at the EHF Altius website here