Star striker Pien Dicke says SCHC hitting right tempo ahead of EHL

Pien Dicke says two big performances from SCHC in the Hoofdklasse against their nearest rivals has the Bilthoven club in great form a week out from the third Euro Hockey League campaign.

Recent weeks have seen them hit full tempo with top-table clashes with Den Bosch (1-1) and AH&BC Amsterdam (2-0) yielding four points out of six.

There was frustration in the former not to get more from the game as SCHC felt they showed more attacking intent but the manner of the performance means the mood and belief is certainly high a week out from the EHL.

“Maybe Amsterdam’s style fit us a bit better; they really like attacking, and we like it as well so it was a more open game. Den Bosch is really good at defending, and they’re really compact which makes it more difficult for us.

“I think we did pretty well apart that we not scoring but I think the feelings were there and we are keeping up our level.”

In the midst of those games, Dicke became the latest Dutch international to require a mask legion after a training ground incident saw her break her nose.

It is unlikely to keep her out of action, though, with the Dutch knowledge around mask-creation proving an ever-growing skill-set after international team mates Marleen Jochems, Frédérique Matla and Mette Winter all had to avail of the same service.

“We know the drill!” jokes the sharp-shooter who has been one of the Dutch league’s top scorers since moving to the club five years ago.

An enticing rematch with Den Bosch is waiting in the wings for SCHC in the FINAL8 should SCHC get by the challenge of Ireland’s Railway Union in the FINAL12 (Wednesday, April 16, .

They will go into that contest as big favourites but it does carry a big element of the unknown with it, an unfamiliar opposition who are making the EHL debut.

“We have no clue [about them],” she admitted. “I don’t even know if my coach has any video of it. But I think we also have to look at ourselves and what we can do best.

“Of course you want to see some video of the opponent but I think it will be more about our internal focus. I don’t really like to focus on the opponent that much because I believe in our strengths.”

There may yet be a sliver of background knowledge available to them – the much-travelled coach Gilles van Hesteren was based in Dublin for a season with Genesis Hockey Club before stints in Croatia, Malawi, Botswana, Belgium and Italy as well as with the SCHC men.

As an aside, the Dublin connection came via a former SCHC club member Jantien Tange who was the Genesis coaching co-ordinator at the time.

Van Hesteren has already confirmed he will step down at the end of the season but Dicke is full of praise for how he managed what was a transitional phase for the team with the likes of Laurien Leurink, Ginella Zerbo, Kyra Fortuin and Alexandra Heerbaart moving on.

On the flip side, Jochems, Pien’s sister Jip, Elodie Picard and Noor Knoop joined the squad.

“We had a lot of players leaving our team and a lot of new players on our team. So he really made an impact on bonding together and making it one team again,” she said.

“That’s what we really needed. And that’s what he did really well. I don’t like to see him leaving. But at the same time, I knew his contract was only there for one year. So, yeah, we’re making out the most of it the last couple of games with him!”

Among those last couple of games could be that Den Bosch rematch in the FINAL8; asked about that possibility, she adds: “I think the Dutch teams are always really, really good in the EHL so  maybe not so nice to meet potentially so early in the EHL. It could have been a nice final as well!”

But she’s also pragmatic about what it takes to win Europe’s toughest club competition.

“When you want to win, you have to beat every team,” she reasoned. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter when you play them. But for a tournament, maybe it was better to play them later.”

Last season’s experience was a bittersweet one – Dicke’s goal assured them of bronze a year ago but semi-final defeat to Amsterdam stung hard.

Whether it’s navigating injury setbacks, overcoming unfamiliar opposition, or rising to the pressure of European competition, Dicke and SCHC are ready to try and make amends.

“We believe in our team,” she concluded. “And we’re going for it.”

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