The last training for the final weekend is over for Pinoké Heren 1. Tomorrow the team from Amsterdam will play the first of three final matches for the national title at home against Bloemendaal. It is the first time that Pinoké is in the final and that creates a lot of tension.
Pinoke – NH News
Trainer Jesse Mahieu, who himself was a Pinoké player a few years ago, is looking forward to the first final match with healthy tension: “We don’t really know what is happening to us. We live in a bit of a dream.”
The men’s team has been doing well in recent years. They also became champions in the hall last winter. According to the club, this is due to the youth academy. In addition, the club professionalized, allowing them to retain their own good players. “I’ve been playing here since I was little,” says player Pieter Sutorius. “Ten boys from their own youth, you don’t see that much in the main class. That makes Pinoké really Pinoké, boys from the club who have been playing here for years and now play in the first.”
We live in a bit of a dream
Pinoké was created in 1945 from a merger between the clubs Okay and Pinokkio. At first it was a hockey club for students and families. As a club historian, Dolf van den Bos knows all about it. He has been collecting all the material that can be found from the club for years: “You could describe me as a walking archive”.
In 2004 Dolf published a reunion book for the club: “From ’87 when we obtained our PhD, performance hockey became more important, but the fun always remained first.”
“We’ve been patient and now it’s finally time”
Pinoké and Bloemendaal have to enter a so-called best-of-three series of fighting out who will walk away with the title. The team will play at home against Bloemendaal on Thursday, while the away game is on Saturday. If it is tied after Saturday’s game, Pinoké will have to go to Bloemendaal again on Sunday for the decisive game.
The supporters are looking forward to the final weekend, says Dolf: “You also notice it with the old guard who stand along the field and enjoy something that they have always wanted to experience.” And the staff and players can’t wait either: “We’re really going all the way now,” says trainer Mahieu. And the same applies to Pieter: “I do assume that we will win, of course, I don’t really care what the result is.”
? Don’t want to miss anything from Amsterdam?
Seen a typo? Let us know at [email protected]