Three goals in quick succession from Sofie Gierts and another from Erica Coppey clinched the victory for the Red Panthers, ensuring a trip to London this summer. The win, before a home crowd of 3,000, followed four other play-off games against Spain, France, Russia and Mexico.

It is especially satisfying for 32-year-old Gierts, who has twice quit the national team and twice been persuaded to return by coach Pascal Kina. In the game against Ireland it was Gierts who provided the game’s one moment of real class, trapping a ball out of the air and pulling hard to send it low and hard past the Irish keeper.

Although her second goal came as the result of a controversial penalty decision, there was little doubt that Gierts and Belgium had secured a deserved victory.

Antwerp-born Gierts, who is also a coach, has a worldly background as a player, turning out for teams in Madrid and Breda. Coming from a hockey family – her father is part of the national coaching team – Gierts’ first club was Ukkel; she has been with the Royal Antwerp Hockey Club since 2010.

She may be a full 14 years older than the youngest Red Panther, 18-year-old Alix Gerniers, but her experience has proved invaluable. After the Ireland game, she tweeted a quote from legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi: “It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up.”

The victory marks a stunning turn-around for Belgian hockey. Last summer, the men’s team reached the semi-finals of the European hockey championships in Germany: The Red Lions, who had never before reached the final of any major championship, were at one point 2-1 up against the three-time World Cup-winning Netherlands before losing 4-2. The semi-final placing also meant the men qualified automatically for the Olympics.

That means that Belgium, once non-contenders for hockey, can now look forward to cheering for all their red cats in the biggest sports show of the year. And for the Red Panthers, there is more to come next year when they will be hosting the women’s European Championships.

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