HC Bloemendaal’s Roel Bovendeert and SV Kampong’s David Harte are both reasonably content with their EHL FINAL8 opponents following last week’s draw.

Bloemendaal will meet English side Surbiton, victors against Real Club de Polo and Dinamo Kazan in Barcelona. Kampong, meanwhile, have been paired with Belgian champions Royal Leopold following their hugely impressive wins over HC Minsk and Herakles.

Speaking to hockey.nl, Bovendeert said of the draw: “I know very little about Surbiton at the moment. It is an English team. These teams are normally physically strong, play defensive and run a lot. 

“They play a different game type than what we are used to in the Hoofdklasse but that also gives us something extra; we will be challenged in a different way. That is the charm of the EHL. I think it’s a nice opponent.”

Bovendeert is looking forward to being back in the EHL after a year away having been the 2018 champions in front of their home crowd.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. The EHL always gives something extra to the season. I missed that last year. With pain in my heart, I watched the EHL. That is why I am glad that we are now playing EHL again. It is a tournament where we belong.”

As for Harte and Kampong, they produced some of their best hockey from the first half of the season in Barcelona and it has them in confident mood for what the future holds.

“I am happy with the draw,” Harte told hockey.nl. “We could also have met the German champion Uhlenhorst or the Spanish side Club Egara. We have seen at the European Championships that the Spanish men are good. So I think it’s a great draw.

“The match against Herakles was our best match of the season. We showed real confidence there and that we can contend in the competition.”