SV Kampong won back the Dutch men’s Hoofdklasse title after a six-year gap as they won a dramatic two-legged battle with HC Rotterdam over the weekend.
They nicked the first leg on Saturday with a late Jip Janssen goal to win 2-1. Silas Lageman’s quick hands helped them g in front nice and early in the first quarter but goal machine Jeroen Hertzberger got things level in the third quarter for 1-1.
In the return leg on Sunday in Utrecht, Janssen once again seized the initiative with a corner goal in the fifth minute.
Hertzberger replied with his calm push from the left of the circle this leg at 1-1 before a big goal-swing in the second quarter.
Duco Telgenkamp deflected in a corner move but the effort was disallowed due to a dangerous sliding which also drew a 10-minute yellow card.
In his absence, Rotterdam went in front via Thijs van Dam in the 22nd minute from the right of the circle.
It made it 3-3 on aggregate and it stayed that way before Janssen, once more, popped up with the vital winning goal in 100 seconds remaining – his 24th goal of the campaign.
Kampong advance to next Easter’s EHL Men’s FINAL8 with Rotterdam confirmed for next October’s KO16.