Düsseldorfer HC won back the German title from Mannheimer HC, defeating their big rivals in the women’s final for the third time in four seasons.

They took the laurels in the 78th edition of the competition, edging out their opponents 2-1 in front of 3,000 fans with Selin Oruz picking up the MVP award.

Unlike the 2022 final, when spectators had to wait in vain for 60 minutes for goals, this time there was something to note after just five minutes.

From turnover ball, Lilly Stoffelsma found Dutch star Mabel Brands who got the lightest of touches to make it 1-0 to DHC.

MHC took their time to get into the contest but they were level by half-time. Charlotte Gerstenhöfer was the instigator as she drove into the circle and then fired with her forehand. Femke Jovy was able to get a touch to the bullet in the DHC goal, but was unable to defuse it; the ball bouncing off her and over the line: 1-1.

The winner came in the third quarter. Sophia Schwabe did the assisting and served up the chance for Lucy Zich in the middle. The U18 national player shot high into the net to make it 2-1 (38th).

Mannheim tried the best to force their way back level once again but it was impossible to get past the defensive boards of Pia Lhotak, Annika Sprink and, before that, Selin Oruz.

As a result of their respective runs to the German final, both sides qualify for next year’s EHL Women’s FINAL12.

Mannheimer HC’s men can celebrate a German double as they won the outdoor crown in Bonn on Sunday, winning the final 2-0 in a shoot-out after a thrilling 2-2 draw in normal time against Hamburger Polo Club.

In front of a crowd of 3,000, there was little between the sides in the early phases with Polo keeping out a trio of penalty corners from Gonzalo Peillat.

Slightly against the run of play, the Hamburg club took the lead via a penalty stroke from Kane Russell after George Baker was fouled in the 28th minute.

Mannheim did not take long after the break to turn the lead around with Hugo von Montgelas setting up Mario Schachner to convert from a central position with his backhand shot.

Then, in the 38th minute, Justus Weigand sneaked free between the lines, took the ball on and pushed it past Niklas Garst  to make it 2-1.

Polo bounced back with Russell again the marksman, scoring from Polo’s first penalty corner for 2-2.

Few chances came in the closing quarter and so it went to a shoot-out where all of Polo’s shooters missed while Mannheim’s Raphael Hartkopf and Justus Weigand (named player of the tournament) scored.

It was the MHC’s second field championship title after 2017 while both sides have qualified for next October’s Euro Hockey League KO16 as a result of their runs to the final.

The 78th German women’s title will be determined this weekend at Bonn THV with the Final Four battling it out for the trophy.

The reigning champions Mannheimer HC start on Saturday at 11.45 am (CET) with their semi-final game against Rot-Weiss Köln.

Both teams also made it to the Final Four last year. Mannheim eliminated UHC Hamburg 2-0 on the way to its first field DM title, and Cologne’s final dreams were ended by a 1-3 defeat by Der Club an der Alster.

With their youthful panel, Rot-Weiss made serene passage to this stage in the play-off series against Großflottbeker THGC.

Nevertheless, defending champions MHC go into this knockout game as favourites having reached the final for the past three years, notably winning against Rot-Weiss in the 2021 semi-final.

The sides did draw their only meeting this season 0-0 with MHC taking the bonus point in a shoot-out. Rot-Weiss, though, have championship credentials, winning the national title five times to Mannheim’s one.

The second semi at 2pm (CET) will be a repeat of the 2022 meeting between that year’s eventual champions Düsseldorfer HC and Alster when the former prevailed in a shoot-out.

In 2021, Düsseldorf also prevailed in a shoot-out against Alster in the semi-finals and then became champions.

This season, though, Alster finished seven points better off than their rivals in the league phase and won 1-0 in Düsseldorf. The final begins on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

One of the longest continuous run in the men’s Euro Hockey League will come to an end next season as Rot-Weiss Köln missed out on a place in the German final four.

They have played in the past 12 editions of the competition, level with Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan and one behind Dinamo Kazan’s 13-year run.

Rot-Weiss were unable to turn the tide against Crefelder HTC, ending their three-year reign as national champions as they lost the first two of their best-of-three quarter-final.

In Saturday’s game two, Rot-Weiss made a dream start as Tom Grambusch’s penalty corner and a Michel Struthoff goal built a 2-0 lead in the first 12 minutes.

But Crefeld defended brilliantly with former Rot-Weiss keeper Joshua Onyekwue Nnjaji in inspired form – a hero in the first leg – producing similar heroics.

And star man Niklas Wellen forced their way back into the contest with a first goal in the 42nd minute and he equalised in the 55th minute from a corner.

That sent the game to a shoot-out where Crefeld prevailed with Wellen, Martin Ignacio Ferreiro and Linus Michler all scoring while Rot-Weiss failed to score.

It earned them a place at next weekend’s final four in Bonn where they will meet Mannheimer HC, the only side from the regular season’s top four to make it through.

MHC landed a huge 10-3 win over Harvestehuder THC to make it two wins from two from their series.

The other half saw Hamburger Polo club beat city rivals UHC 5-1 while Der Club an der Alster defeated Uhlenhorst Mülheim in game three.

Alster had won the first leg before losing the Saturday second leg in a shoot-out. It sent it to a decisive third game which Uhlenhorst were 1-0 up with seven minutes to go.

But Anton Boeckel and Fred Newbold struck within two minutes of each other to see Alster grab a 2-1 win.