Bloemendaal flexed their considerable muscle in their opening Pool G match as they thrashed Lille by 7 goals to 2.

Rogier Hofman opened the scoring early on as he seized on a loose ball in the D after goalkeeper Matthias Dierckens had made a mess of clearing a simple cross with his stick.

Bloemendaal settled into their rhythm and Teun De Nooijer was unlucky not to extend the lead as he was kept out by Dierckens from a tight angle.

Dierckens was called into action again shortly after but as the ball was played back into the D he could do nothing to prevent Roel Bovendeert scoring the second.  With the quarter drawing to a close Ronald Brouwer latched onto a lovely first time pass from Glenn Schuurman but this time the goalkeeper did brilliantly to block using his reverse stick.

The Dutch side opened the second quarter with a penalty corner which was scored by Olmer Meijer high into the net. The one way traffic continued and the Lille goalkeeper saved from Brouwer again before Lille finally created a chance of their own. Antoine Moreau did well to find a cross but Theophile Ponthieu missed at the back post.

Nick Meijer drew a good sprawling save from the Lille No1 before the French champions finally cut the deficit. Victor Lockwood latched onto an aerial pass and drew Jaap Stockmann, with the goalkeeper on the ground and defenders all around him it appeared the chance had gone, but he calmly slotted it home.

Lille started the third quarter with a flourish. Fernando Mondaca did well to find space in the D and hit a good low shot which Stockmann dealt with. The second goal eluded them and the Dutch masters scored their fourth soon after. A lovely move involving an exchange of passes between Hofman and De Nooijer resulted in the latter lifting an excellent reverse stick finish over the goalkeeper for 4-1.

Bovendeert showed his skills too, as he collected a pass in the D and scooped an outrageous reverse stick finish over the hapless goalkeeper to make it 5-1. Bloemendaal weren’t done there as they added a sixth with a superb goal. Bovendeert linked up with De Nooijer, drew the goalkeeper out and rolled a simple pass to his team mate who tapped home his second.

The fourth quarter developed into something of a training exercise as the Dutch showed off some of their wonderful individual skills . Wouter Jolie hit a penalty corner which the goalkeeper saved and the captain promptly blazed the rebound over the top.

The seventh goal came courtesy of a penalty stroke, despatched by Ronald Brouwer after a successful video referral.

To their credit, Lille did not roll over and got a consolation for their efforts right on full time. Mondaca’s strong run down the left into the D was rewarded as his cross was diverted into his own net by the defender, the goal credited to Mondaca.

Lille will have to pick themselves up for tomorrow’s must-win game against Lisnagarvey HC tomorrow.  Bloemendaal will b e confident of their qualification after today.