Y1 athletes made their mark at the 2026 Euro Hockey League ROUND1, with Joep de Mol leading HC Oranje-Rood into the EHL FINALS and Loris Grandchamp finishing as the tournament’s top goalscorer.
The 2026 ABN AMRO Euro Hockey League ROUND1 delivered a weekend of high-stakes European club hockey in Eindhoven, with teams securing their places at next Easter’s EHL FINALS.
Several Y1-sponsored athletes were central to the action, from dramatic qualification battles to standout individual performances.
Grandchamp finishes as tournament top goalscorer
One of the weekend’s standout stories was Loris Grandchamp, whose penalty-corner prowess helped Royal Orée progress to the EHL FINALS in their debut season.
Grandchamp scored twice against German giants Rot-Weiss Köln, earning his side a crucial 2-2 draw and securing qualification on goal difference. His two goals took him to the top of the tournament scoring charts, capping an impressive individual performance on the European stage.
De Mol leads Oranje-Rood to the EHL FINALS
For hosts HC Oranje-Rood, captain and Y1 athlete Joep de Mol helped lead the Dutch side through after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Wimbledon HC.
The Eindhoven crowd witnessed an eight-goal contest, with Oranje-Rood establishing an early lead before Wimbledon fought back. Y1 athlete Sam Hooper got on the scoresheet with a drag-flick to keep Wimbledon in contention, but a second goal from Struan Walker helped the hosts seal the result.
The victory sent Oranje-Rood through to next Easter’s FINAL12, while Wimbledon’s campaign came to an end.
Lisnagarvey and SV Arminen secure progression
Elsewhere, Lisnagarvey produced one of the weekend’s biggest results, beating CAM 92 by 6-0 to top their group and reach the EHL knock-out stages for the third time. The win also equalled the biggest victory by an Irish club in EHL history.
SV Arminen also booked their place at the EHL FINALS, defeating Lille MHC 2-1. First-half goals from Max Kelner and Tobias Terler proved decisive, with goalkeeper Clemens Philipp making important saves to protect the lead. The result ended Edinburgh University’s hopes of progression.
Looking ahead to the EHL FINALS
With ROUND1 complete, attention now turns to next Easter’s EHL FINALS, where Europe’s leading clubs will battle for the title.
For Y1, it was a weekend of standout performances, with Grandchamp’s goalscoring achievement and the leadership of De Mol among the highlights. Hooper also made his mark in a fiercely contested fixture as Wimbledon pushed the hosts all the way.
Congratulations to all the teams and athletes who competed in Eindhoven. We look forward to following our Y1 athletes as the European club season continues.
