It could not be much better for Braxgata than in the 2024-25 season: the women’s team won their first national championship since 2017, and the men will soon play in the Euro Hockey League for the first time.
As such, they are exciting times for the club, although not without a little bit of transition for their return to League Action on Sunday with both men and women who are confronted with Waterloo at home.
For the women, Brax will have to get used to being without Judith Vandermeiren with the Boom icon soon to wear dragon colors for the first time.
Stephanie Vanden Borre also returns to Gantoise, while Sanne Caarls – an important player last season – will join Hurley.
“We had been preparing for a while for Stephanie’s departure; it was a fact that she would return to Gantoise,” says Erik Gysels of the club.
“Judith’s decision came later in the season. We are incredibly grateful for what she intended for the club all those years. Last season things didn’t really start before us until after the winter break. With so many new players, the same scenario is not impossible.
“Braxgata players form a large part of the national youth teams,” he adds. “Remember that Camille Belis and Louise Dewaet will play in the U21 World Cup at the end of this year.
“Among the newcomers, Marthe-Marie Geers (Van Herakles) and Margaux Coudron (from White Star) are also part of the young Red Panthers. Geers replaces Craarls, and we have chosen the Irish experience of Roison Upton and Sarah Hawkshaw to fill the positions of Vanden Borre and Vanders.
“Finally, Scotland International Heather McEwan agrees with the victory. We will certainly be stronger.”
The new T1 from Brax will be Alessandro Geleyns: “The arrival of Alessandro was already known before the start of the Euro Hockey League in ‘s-Hertogenbosch’, says Gysels.” He did a great job at Wellington and knows the women’s competition inside and out. “
On the men’s side there are similar changes with Thomas Briels, Tanguy Clément, Anton van Biesen and Pieter van Straaten who withdraw from the top layer. They will miss their debut in the EHL who first beats them against West -Wildcats.
“Their departure was known well in advance,” says Gysels. “We have had a very strong season, but we just didn’t score enough field goals.
“To further strengthen our attacking force, we have signed Thibeau Stockbroekx and Sébastien Dockier. Two top players with impressive track records.
“’Tibi’ Stockbroekx has developed into an absolute top player at Oranje-Rood, and Dockier is not going to slow down. He is hungry. It is great that these two players return to the Carlsberg 0.0 Hockey League after all these years.
“Our ambition? It is very credible to compete for the title with the men, and for the women a place in the play-offs is the absolute minimum.”
** In interview with journalist Werner Thys
#EHL #Brax #horizons #Stellar