Friday night time lights; taking up the 2022 champions in entrance of a boisterous house crowd; some would like a gentler debut into the EHL.
However East Grinstead’s Sophie Bray is unequivocal; going through AH&BC Amsterdam first up is precisely the draw she would have chosen if she might do the draw herself.
“I couldn’t be happier with our draw!” she informed the EHL web site. “When it got here out, I assumed: ‘wonderful, that’s the one I would like!’ To play such a prime facet, of their house stadium, 8pm on a Friday night time. I might undoubtedly have picked it!”
It’s a measure of her relish for a problem. The European and Olympic gold medalist cherished pitting her wits towards a number of the greatest membership groups on the planet over two spells within the Netherlands and was eager to maintain pushing boundaries on her return to the English membership recreation.
She initially joined MOP – primarily based between Den Bosch and Eindhoven – the place Toon Siepman had a formative affect on her recreation, hailing his steering, technical and tactical acumen as key options in serving to her break into the Nice Britain setup.
Following the Rio gold, she returned to the Hoofdklasse to play with SV Kampong with whom she encountered a golden technology of abilities, three of whom she’s going to face off towards on the EHL FINAL8.
“I keep in mind from the primary coaching session with Michelle Fillet and Marijn Veen considering ‘wow, these two are super-talented’. What amazed me was they have been younger however had such a fantastic angle which is so vital.
“Marijn has completed so effectively and it’s no shock in any respect and I imagine she’s going to solely get higher. Michelle appears to be in prime kind in entrance of objective. Completely different types however their strengths give them a novel side to what they bring about to the sport.
“It has additionally been good to see Gaby [Mosch] doing a lot on the indoor stage. She was an excellent expertise after I was there. Just a few years on, it will likely be tremendous good to see them once more and bizarre to play towards them!”
Having grown up within the Surbiton youth part, it might need appeared the pure course to return their after her time within the Netherlands, significantly with the London membership now racking up the titles.
However Bray noticed the image in another way and felt an alternate problem was extra to her liking when requested by EG coach Mary Sales space, a former colleges coach of hers.
“It was a giant resolution. Quite a lot of folks would possibly query it as I performed at Surbiton as a junior. However I might see the eagerness and course of the administration within the membership of the place they wished to go.
“It was thrilling and I wished to be a part of it. The membership was identified for a few years due to the boys’s facet and their success. It’s good now to see the place the ladies’s facet is – like many others – that we’ve been a part of that journey.
“I additionally noticed the domination of Surbiton, successful their video games 8-0, 9-0, 5-1… I type of wished it to not be a one-team present within the Premier League and see if we might construct one thing and make it extra aggressive. It took a variety of years however we bought there in the long run!”
That journey noticed them end as runners-up on a few events, incomes EuroHockey Trophy spots in 2021 and 2022, in addition to changing into indoor nationwide champions.
After which, final spring, they ended Surbiton’s decade-long reign as English winners with a dramatic 3-2 win, Sally Sime getting the essential objective 9 minutes from time.
“Surbiton have been so extremely dominant in our league for therefore a few years so to lastly be capable of win the title, we’ve gone shut, however to have the ability to do it at their house floor was a giant factor.”
And the 2 look set for extra showdowns on the enterprise finish of this season with each occupying playoff spots for the ultimate 4 part of the labyrinthine English league which is presently in its third part.
However first, it’s the EHL FINAL8 and Bray says her facet has an thrilling mix of choices to deliver to the desk that’s mixing on the proper time after a combined pre-Christmas spell. A few massive names joined the membership, linking up with GB stars like Laura Unsworth, Tessa Howard and Ellie Rayer.
“A mix of recent gamers coming in – it does take time for them to settle into a brand new membership – and we’re beginning to see them not simply settle however lead the traces.
“Grace Balsdon has been phenomenal, leads the backline and organises the crew. Lily Walker – one other key participant coming in – has discovered her ft on this second half of the season.
“The opposite side I personally love this about our crew and it’s much like after I was at Kampong. Now we have some super-talented children – Izzy, our goalkeeper is eighteen and super-talented. Liv Breed and Anna Faulstich – each additionally 18 – will all be there on the EHL.”
“We’re within the midst of a very good run since Christmas; the ladies had a profitable indoor marketing campaign and we’ve taken that momentum open air. It’s the thrilling time of the season, the rationale we get out and practice!”