(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo courtesy of Hilversum Hurricanes)
 Coming Weekend: Midden-Nederland Cup at Hilversum Hurricanes
Nederlands
 LOOSDRECHT (Neth.) -
In the upcoming Easter Weekend, the fifth edition of the annual Midden-Nederland Cup will be organized again by Hilversurm Hurricanes at its complex in Loosdrecht.
When Hilversum Hurricanes first organized the two-day tournament in 2011, it wanted to create a high-level regional event.
Besides that, it wanted to offer teams to the possibility to meet and prepare a few weeks before the start of the regular season.
The tournament was won by UVV in 2011 and 2012, then the event rained out in 2013.
Amsterdam Pirates was the winner in 2014 and Centrals won the Midden-Nederland Cup a year ago.
Last year, the weather conditions weren't favorable, as it was cold and it rained.
All games were played on the first day, but the final two games of the tournament had to be cancelled due to rain the next day.
Only the final was re-scheduled and was played a week later with Centrals winning 11-3 against UVV.
...Host Hilversum Hurricanes...
(© Photo courtesy of Hilversum Hurricanes) |
This years tournament has an international flavor, as the National Under-19 Team of Germany participates.
Five teams are playing the Silver League, the second highest Dutch softball-league, being Amsterdam Pirates, Ban-Topa Future Stars, Centrals, HCAW and UVV.
The field of participants is completed by BioSilk Quick Amersfoort and host Hilversum Hurricanes, who both play in the First Division (third highest league).
The eight teams are divided into two pools of four.
Amsterdam Pirates, Ban-Topa Future Stars, Centrals and Hilversum Hurricanes form Pool A, the other four play in Pool B.
Last weekend, host Hilversum Hurricanes, which is coached by Hans Snel, conducted a training-weekend at the site of Cheetahs in Beek.
There, the team played two exhibition games on Sunday.
They first met Cheetahs, then played its next game against Wesseling Vermins from Germany.
In the first game, Hilversum lost 3-2 in the last inning.
In the second game, the German squad was somewhat too strong and won 10-3.
After last season, the Hurricanes lost six players.
Jeanine van Ancum, Kirsten Veldhuijsen and Naomi van Eick retired, Nurish Fokkens went to Quick Amersfoort, Britt van der Vlag now plays on a lower level within the club and Maike van Doorn became the coach of the junior-squad.
But the team also added six new players, including Renee Adriaanse and Mandy Pieneman, who last season played in the Silver League for Almere '90.
The other newcomers are four young, talented players, Isabelle Botman (14 years), Chelle Roelvink (16), Emma Mulder (17) and Sharon Schaap (17).
Bart Brouwer took over the position of Assistant Coach from Soon Young Lam.
| Game Schedule Saturday, March 26 | . | Game Schedule Sunday, March 27 |
| Time | Game | . | Time | Game |
| 10:00 AM | Centrals vs. Hilversum Hurricanes | . | 10:00 AM | Amsterdam Pirates vs. Hilversum Hurricanes |
| 10:00 AM | Ban-Topa Future Stars vs. Amsterdam Pirates | . | 10:00 AM | Germany U19 vs. BioSilk Quick Amersfoort |
| 11:30 AM | UVV vs. HCAW | . | 11:30 AM | Nr. 1 Pool A vs. Nr. 2 Pool B (X) |
| 11:30 AM | Centrals vs. Ban-Topa Future Stars | . | 11:30 AM | Nr. 1 Pool B vs. Nr. 2 Pool A (Y) |
| 1:00 PM | BioSilk Quick Amersfoort vs. HCAW | . | 1:00 PM | Nr. 3 Pool A vs. Nr. 3 Pool B |
| 1:00 PM | Germany U19 vs. UVV | . | 1:00 PM | Nr. 4 Pool A vs. Nr. 4 Pool B |
| 2:30 PM | Hiversum Hurricanes vs. Ban-Topa Future Stars | . | 2:30 PM | Loser X vs. Loser Y |
| 2:30 PM | Amsterdam Pirates vs. Centrals | . | 2:30 PM | Winner X vs. Winner Y (Final) |
| 4:00 PM | HCAW vs. Germany U19 | . | |
| 4:00 PM | UVV vs. BioSilk Quick Amersfoort | . | |
(March 24)
Related Articles:
 Centrals wins Midden-Nederland Cup. (April 4, 2015)
Finals Midden-Nederland Cup cancelled. (March 29, 2015)
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