Dutch side ZV De Zaan were crowned Euro Cup Women’s champions after a brilliant performance saw them beat Pallanuoto Trieste 14-7 in the second leg of the final on Saturday night. The win gave them a 24-16 victory on aggregate, making them the first Dutch team to lift the trophy.
The final took place in front of a packed crowd at Sloterparkbad in Amsterdam, and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish. De Zaan, who had already won their previous nine matches in the competition, made it a perfect ten and celebrated in style with their home supporters.
De Zaan started strong and took the lead through Maartje Van Rijn. Trieste responded, but goals from Takyiwa Maria Sam and Nerida Drewes helped De Zaan lead 3-2 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second, Lieke Rogge scored from the penalty spot, and Maud Koopman added two more to extend the lead. Trieste narrowed the gap, but goalkeeper Britt van den Dobbelsteen made key saves to keep De Zaan ahead 6-5 at half-time.
The third quarter was all De Zaan – they defended well, punished Trieste’s mistakes, and scored five more goals including strikes from Drewes, Van Rijn, Bente Rogge, and captain Lieke Rogge.
In the final quarter, Sam scored twice more, bringing her total to four for the night. Trieste managed two late goals, but the result was already decided.
It was heartbreak again for Trieste, who had to settle for second place for the second year running.
De Zaan head coach Mick van den Bree said:
“Today was a special night. We played fast, used our counter attacks well, and stayed calm when it mattered. I’m proud of the team.”
