Like final season, Victoria’s ladies are totally within the race for a spot among the many high three. Due to this fact, the draw (1-1) towards direct rival Leiden was an embarrassing one, particularly for the reason that objective towards fell within the final minute of the match. In consequence, Vic is tentatively sixth grew the space to the playoffs spots to 5 factors. Shiny spot on the squad is Donna Dupuis, who tops the Promotion League high scorer listing with ten objectives.
With a glance that was on thunder, Dupuis left the sector Sunday afternoon. ‘We thought we had the factors. Then it’s simply terribly galling when that objective towards falls so late, despite the fact that we didn’t essentially have area superiority,’ sighed the striker, who’s in her third season with the Rotterdam membership. Whereas Dupuis all the time scored a objective in current weeks, she didn’t rating one towards Leiden. That’s a pity, however I’m particularly disenchanted that we’ve now elevated the hole with the highest three’.
Dupuis (20) is a fierce participant within the area. A striker who pops up like a jack-in-the-box, threatening nearly out of nowhere. If not with a objective, then with an motion. And a participant with a crystal-clear ambition. ‘If we don’t make the playoffs, this season will likely be a failure. Truly we wished to be champions, however the first half of the season didn’t end up as we had hoped. We misplaced or drew, even towards lesser opponents on paper. The championship is now very distant, however we are able to make the play-offs in the event you see the standard within the group’.
Victoria had eight new gamers to slot in this season. Photograph: Koen Suyk
Dupuis has to make up for lacking Huijgens
Her coach Sjoerd Wolters partly agrees with Dupuis. We began this season with quite a lot of new gamers, so we’ve to discover a completely different dynamic. Now a unit is actually forming. Our first three video games of 2025 had been phenomenal. We scored 11 objectives in three video games, whereas we had made 20 within the whole first half of the season. As the top of the season approaches, there’s extra struggle concerned. Then you definately see that we’re struggling towards a preventing crew like Leiden. In my eyes it’s not a failed season if we miss the playoffs, however that may be a disgrace.’
Rebecca Huijgens, who came to visit from Rotterdam this season, has been out for a number of weeks with a hamstring damage. One that may maintain her sidelined in the meanwhile. All of the extra welcome is the manufacturing of Dupuis. The 20-year-old striker began at Victoria, however switched to Rotterdam as a 15-year-old to play greater up. A very good transfer, because it turned out, as a result of within the A youth she turned nationwide champion. The striker was unable to advance to the Girls’s 1, then nonetheless a promotion class. ‘That was solely potential as a trainee participant and I needed to be a part of Women 2 on Sundays. However I wished to make minutes.’
From one to 10
And so Dupuis opted to return to the acquainted nest. As a purebred striker, scoring objectives in youth was already her usp, however on the senior stage it now not got here naturally. The primary season she made just one. Final yr, Dupuis scored 4. Now the counter already stands at ten. Not a excessive common over sixteen video games, nevertheless it did earn her the primary spot on the highest scorers listing.
Donna Dupuis (heart) tops the Promotion League high scorer listing with ten objectives. Photograph: Koen Suyk
Dupuis: ‘I needed to discover my place at Vic. Now teammates know methods to discover me higher and I’m extra comfy in it myself. I do know you need to work onerous to attain the objectives as an alternative of it taking place routinely.’
Wolters additionally sees that Dupuis has discovered her area of interest. ‘Donna and I are insanely related in character. The proud and the positively boastful. She is aware of very properly the place her qualities lie: diving in entrance of the objective for her man and scoring. However in at this time’s area hockey world, that’s not all you get. You even have to assist defend, run tacklebacks and actively place your self exterior the circle to get the ball. We spent quite a lot of time on that.
Nonetheless, in accordance with Wolters, Dupuis didn’t instantly drop the penny. ‘When Donna simply joined us as an eighteen-year-old, we commonly heard sure, however once we tried to elucidate one thing to her. That’s completely different now. She’s extra acutely aware about what she has to ship. That she will’t maintain ready in entrance of the objective till she will get the ball. Particularly after final winter break, she is so immensely match. She works mega onerous, looks like coaching, radiates positivity. And the way you practice, that’s the way you play your matches. After all, as a striker you’re judged in your efficiency. However she can be extra concerned within the sport now. That places her in her energy. And then you definitely rating objectives or, like towards Leiden at this time, you’re concerned in objectives.’
Simply as Dupuis has a transparent imaginative and prescient of what she needs with Victoria this season – playoffs and in any other case not – she is obvious about her private ambitions: ‘My dream is to play within the large league. If not with Vic, then some other place.’ In any case, her coach is assured. ‘Donna is an attractive particular person. She is going to get the place she needs to go.’
