GIJS HEPRO Groningen loses, but goes into protest. ‘Unbelievable game’

Coach Csaba Kercso Magos was of course disappointed, but also proud of his team: “We were missing three defenders and three attackers and played with only two and a half lines. The team played great. Really, the whole team, hats off!”

‘I’m completely done with that ‘fucking referee’

After being 3-0 behind, GIJS fought back well. But then incomprehensible things happened in the eyes of the coach: “We took a 5-4 lead. I still have to watch it again, but I’m almost certain that Dordtrecht’s last two goals were not hits and certainly not legally valid. Just before the winning goal, an obvious foul was committed on one of our players by two from Dordtrecht.” The ever-calm coach from Hungary was seething: “I’m so done with that ‘fucking referee’. But we will certainly file a protest, this cannot continue. I’m going to ask management to do this because this wasn’t fair.”

Zahir Hup scores four times

GIJS HEPRO’s big man was Zahir Hup, who scored four times. Tim Bartels made the fifth. Goalkeeper Danylo Douma was back from the Under-20 World Cup and played a good game. Coach Margos remains hopeful about reaching the play-offs: “We are only half way.” But he would like to say something about the high expectations: “Last season we reached the semi-finals and then people think, that the final should now be possible. But our competition has become much stronger. Nijmegen, Utrecht and Leeuwarden have attracted strong players. For example, we have lost a very good goalkeeper. Danylo is doing well, but is 17 years young and needs to gain more experience.”

‘We need new players’

The coach is clear about how to proceed: “We need new players. The selection is too small. Our audience deserves that too. They are now disappointed and so are we.”

Csaba, like his players, is taking a few days off. He gave his team exercises for the gym and will see them back on the ice in early January.