Holland’s top team, the Amsterdam Crusaders have breezed into Tulip Bowl XXXIII, the championship final for the Netherlands, blanking the Hilversum Hurricanes 36-0. This will be the Crusaders 27th appearance in the title game in Holland which they have won 18 times.
The Crusaders had not played a game since May 21 and it showed. Despite entering the game as overwhelming favorites, it took a while to shake the rust off. Amsterdam had beaten the Hurricanes twice during the regular season by a combined score of 82-7.
Nevertheless, quarterback Janawski Davis finally got his team untracked. He found a seam and raced 70 yards for the game’s first score. Then Keke Ray followed that up with another touchdown giving the Crusaders a 13-0 lead.
Photo: Bob de Calonne
Amsterdam head coach Winston Ronde then turned to his substitutes inserting backup quarterback Jasper Nijland who engineered two more scores extending the lead to 28-0. Then the defense stepped up as defensive back Jeffrey Juurlink intercepted a pass from Hilversum quarterback Maurice Tielen and returned it all the way for a touchdown. Amsterdam defensive back Djengiz Bakker also picked off Tielen and big Crusaders defensive lineman Stijn Dossche also got into the act, with a pick of his own.
With the win, the Crusaders have advanced to the Tulip Bowl for the third straight year and for the 15th time since 2000.
Meanwhile the 010 Trojans from Rotterdam have qualified for the second straight year and the second time in their history by whipping the Lightning Leiden 59-6.