DOS '46 miss Malestein, but pin hopes on Van Veldhuisen and the women

In the standings they were a mid-table side last season: DOS '46 finished sixth in the Korfbal League, behind the top four and KZ. But the team of coaches Lars Pieper and Tom Stoffelsen took points off the top sides. At home DOS '46 beat PKC (21‑20) and DVO (25‑20), and away at LDODK it finished 28‑31. Lars Pieper wants to get up to level first and then do a little better than last year.

That picture also comes through in De Korfbal Podcast. In the first episode of this season Lise van Maldeghem says: "Every season they do come up with surprises by taking points off the higher teams." John Jonker picks DOS '46 as the team that will surprise, perhaps with a fifth place. Wilco van den Bos sticks with six.

Malestein and Kragt stop

To do so, DOS '46 do have a gap to fill. Max Malestein is stopping because family, work and korfball can no longer be combined. He scored 71 goals last season, two fewer than club top scorer Jorne van der Zee. Willemien Kragt is also stopping, after three seasons in which she won the outdoor title and the Supercup with DOS '46.

Read more: DOS '46 win opener at DVO: Zwolle decides it with two long shots (27‑28)

Bonne Bus and Friso Kienstra are leaving the squad, Jorrit van Dijk returns to De Wâlden and Lisa Bouwknegt leaves for Blauw-Wit. New is Jesse Postma (23), captain of Wit-Blauw for the past two years. Yvo de Vries (21) returns from Wit-Blauw. Among the men things are tighter. Luc Hulzebosch, a homegrown player, and newcomer Postma are competing for the fourth spot.

Leander Zwolle, the captain, is pleased with Postma, he tells KORFBALINC: "He really does provide good resistance in training. Every training session he gives more than 100%."

Van Veldhuisen is back

The most important reinforcement may come from within. Eline van Veldhuisen scored 43 goals in twelve matches last season and is back after a cruciate ligament injury. Outdoors she fired DOS '46 past Nic. with nine goals (16‑22). John Jonker says in the podcast: "I think Eline van Veldhuisen looks very good." He thinks she can help DOS reach the top five.

Zwolle sees even more potential there, he tells KORFBALINC: "Above all I think we've had very good women for years. So we need to make even more use of that." Sam Meijer, Fardau de Boer and Tessa Lap are also part of the squad. Lap was still playing in the second team two years ago and was very important last year. Sigrid Kuipers, important in the outdoor title last year, is coming up. Tessa Lap and Mart Vrielink train with a development place at Korfbal TeamNL at Papendal. Vrielink scored 68 goals last season.

The collective as strength

Outdoors the team dropped little this autumn: six matches in the Ereklasse, six wins, and a place in the championship pool in the spring. Zwolle sees the group growing closer every year: "You simply see that you get closer to each other every year." At the start of the season the squad went on a training weekend to Catalonia. "And then you just see that you're in each other's pockets for four, five days", says Zwolle.

The collective makes DOS '46 strong, he says: "If we stay close together and if we can be resilient when things go against us for a while." As captain he wants to set a good example himself. "I want to make sure my level stays consistent. And that I can be even more important in matches."

Behind the scenes there is news too. Daniël Hulzebosch became technical manager, DOS '46 announced on its own website. As coach he led the club in 2009 to the last of its four indoor titles.

Tonight at 20:30 it starts in Bennekom, where DOS '46 lost last year's opener 30‑28. Wilco van den Bos is adamant in the podcast: "Yes, DVO are going to win that one." Zwolle tells KORFBALINC: "I think that's going to be a very nice match as well." Every year he looks forward to the derby against LDODK: "That's always a match in itself." The first home match is Sunday 15 November, against Fortuna.