European Championship Field hockey

This article was last updated on August 14, 2023

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Post and Fokke striking names in women’s selection for European Championship hockey

The national coach, Paul van Ass, has announced the eighteen-member selection for the upcoming European Hockey Championship in Mönchengladbach. There are three new names in the selection who have never participated in a major final round with the Dutch team before: attacker Joosje Burg (Den Bosch), midfielder Luna Fokke (Kampong), and defender Lisa Post (SCHC).

The Orange women will kick off their campaign on Saturday at 1.15 pm against Spain in the group of four. This will be followed by matches against Belgium on Sunday and Italy on Tuesday.

Fokke is the only player in the selection who won the Junior World Cup in South Africa last year. Another surprising choice is Lisa Post, who was initially left out of the selection in June but was later called up by Van Ass after his change of heart. Post has represented the Netherlands 25 times internationally.

Possession

“It was a mistake in judgment,” acknowledged Van Ass, who realized his error after two Pro League matches with Belgium. “Those matches taught me that there can be situations where our opponents have more ball possession than we would like. I missed the type of game that Lisa brings, with her ability to close defensive gaps. I thought to myself, Lisa should actually be in the team now. But yes, she wasn’t sitting on the couch.”

Margot van Geffen, who plays for HGC, is the most experienced player in the selection with 252 international matches. Xan de Waard (SCHC) and Maria Verschoor (Amsterdam) are also approaching the milestone of 200 international matches, with 196 and 184 games for the Netherlands, respectively.

In terms of goalkeepers, Van Ass has not yet made a final decision. Josine Koning (Den Bosch) and Anne Veenendaal (Amsterdam) are the two experienced options available to him.

The Netherlands will be aiming to win their fourth consecutive European title in Germany. If they succeed, they will equal the record set in 2005. Furthermore, this achievement will secure a ticket to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.