W1 Come Back From 3-0 Down To Stun Der Club an der Alster
By Colin Pike
Surbiton stunned German club Der Club an der Alster on Saturday after coming back from 3-0 down at half time to win 4-3 and take control of Pool B in the EuroHockey Club Trophy I in Hamburg.
Surbiton made history by beating a German club in European competition for the first time having gone closest in the 2023 Euro Hockey League KO3 by losing out on shootout after a 1-1 draw with Düsseldorfer in normal time.
Hannah French also became the first Surbiton Women player to score a hat-trick in Europe scoring all three goals in the last seventeen minutes including a last minute winner.
Club an der Alster had thrashed Italian club Butterfly Roma 12-1 on Friday and seemed to be on course for another clinical performance when Hanna Granitzki gave them the lead in the third minute. Juliane Grashoff doubled Club an der Alster's lead in the 17th minute from a penalty corner and when Granitzki scored her second goal in the same manner just before half time, the German club seemed to have virtually booked their place in the final with a first-place finish.
Surbiton had other ideas and ended the third quarter only 2-3 down, Meg Dowthwaite starting the comeback in the 41st minute before French added a second two minutes later from a penalty corner.
Discipline proved to be decisive as although Martha Taylor's yellow card in the 44th minute was dealt with, Linda Cobano's yellow card for Der Club an der Alster in the 53rd minute resulted in Surbiton's equaliser two minutes later, French once more on hand to finish off a penalty corner routine.
French struck again in the final minute to finally earn the previously elusive win over a German club that Surbiton had sought since they first met UHC Hamburg in Bilthoven in 2016, the 4-3 win giving Surbiton a four point lead over both Club an der Alster and Watsonians, who beat Butterfly Club 3-0 on Saturday.
Surbiton will be favourites to qualify for Monday's final when they face Butterfly Club on Sunday at 1645 CET (1545 BST).
Belgian club KHC Dragons are in pole position to qualify for the final from Pool A, having beaten HC Rotweiss Wettingen of Switzerland 4-1 and MSC Sumchanka of the Ukraine 1-0, before they face Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic on Sunday.
More information about the tournament can be found at the EHF Altius website here
Old Georgians' hopes of reaching the Men's Euro Hockey League final were dashed by Dutch club Pinoké, who won 4-1 in the FINAL4.
Old Georgians were caught out in the first minute when Joep Troost put Pinoké ahead, and Troost ensured that Old Georgians trailed 2-0 at half time with a second goal in the 24th minute.
Alexander Hendrickx's penalty stroke in the 39th minute virtually sealed Old Georgians' fate, but they didn't give up with Samuel Hiha responding a minute later.
Hendrickx's penalty corner conversion in the 44th minute made the final score 4-1, leaving Old Georgians to play for bronze against either Kampong or Rot-Weiss Köln on Monday at 1130 CET (1030 BST).
In the Men's EuroHockey Trophy I in Lousada, Portugal, Cardiff & Met beat Olten of Switzerland 6-1 to join Slavia Prague on 7 points. Cardiff & Met play Slavia Prague on Sunday at 1000 BST.
Information about all the EuroHockey tournaments including the Under-14 Boys and Girls Euro Hockey League can be found here