While EuroHockey Clubs Challenge I and III reach their conclusions tomorrow (21 May), the final positions in EHCC II and IV have been decided. In both events, it was impossible to separate the leading teams. In EHCC II, Zelina and Whitchurch shared pole position, while in EHCC IV, Soroksári – Olcote HC and HK Moravske Toplice both remained unbeaten.
EuroHockey Challenge I
ASD SH Paolo Bonomi to CFU Lamas 0-0
The third day of the EuroHockey Challenge I started with a rarity in this tournament – a goalless draw. These two well-matched teams were just unable to break each other’s defences down, and attack after attack turned to nothing. The result means Paolo Bonomi finished third in Pool A and Lamas took second place, one point ahead.
HAHK Mladost vs AD Lousada 3-2
Despite the Portuguese team enlisting the support of a marching band, it was HAHK Mladost who won this tense encounter, meaning the Croatian side finish top of Pool A, while AD Lousada ended their Pool matches with three losses. It was a close game, with Mladost’s Alfonso Monsalve scoring the winner with just two minutes left in the match.
Slagelse HockeyKlub vs TJ Plzen Litice 3-0
Slagelse HockeyKlub maintained their unbeaten record with a win over TJ Plzen Litice. It was not plain sailing for the Danish team however as TJ Plzen Litice put up a staunch defence for three quarters of the match. Eventually Jonas Diesing broke the deadlock with two goals within four minutes. Steinmetz Christensen added a third just seconds from the final whistle.
SK Slavia Prague and Servette HC Geneva 1-0
The final pool game was an exciting game between SK Slavia Prague and Servette HC Geneva. The Czech team went into attack mode from the first whistle and were rewarded five minutes into play when David Vacek scored. Despite some frenetic play from both teams no further goals were forthcoming. The tense match saw both teams create chances but both keepers were also on fine form.
The results mean that in the matches for final placings, which will be played tomorrow (21 May), the host club Servette will play Lousada; ASD SH Paolo Bonomi will face TJ Plzen Litice; Slagelse take on Lamas and HAHK Mladost will play SK Slavia Prague.
EuroHockey Club Challenge II
It was delight for Zelina and Whitchurch as the two teams finished in joint top position in the EuroHockey Club Challenge II competition in Lipovci, Slovenia. Top scorer for the competition was Zelina’s Anze Fujs, who scored six goals in total.
Bolu Belediyesi Spor Kulubu vs FHC Akadmik Plus Sofia 7-3
Bolu of Turkey put in a strong finishing performance to consign FHC Akadmik to last place in the seven team competition. Goals were scored by Norman Poyraz (3), Omer Karakus (2) and one apiece for Can Vakif Kilinc and Semih Alagoz. Georgi Baklev (2) and Ventsislav Balev scored for Academic.
Grammarians vs Whitchurch 4-4 (1-3 shoot out)
This was an absorbing and entertaining game as the two teams vied for a top two place. In the end, it was the Welsh team, Whitchurch, who prevailed as they held their nerve to win the shoot out.
Grammarians had a 3-2 lead going into half time but some sustained pressure by Whitchurch in the final minutes of the game saw the Welsh team haul things back to 4-4. A hat trick for Grammarians captain Shane Ramagge will be scant consolation as his team crashed out in shoot out, scoring one goal to Whitchurch’s three.
Hockey Klub Zelina vs HK Lipovci 8-4
The final game was a goal fest as the two teams scored 12 goals between them. Unfortunately for the host team, they were on the wrong side of the scoreline but for Zelina, this was a strong performance to top a good tournament. The tournament’s top scorer Anze Fujs picked up a hat-trick and he was joined on the score sheet by Gregr Fujs, Darjo Tolusic, Petar Bahlen and Aleksandr Lykov (2). The result leaves Zelina joint winners of the competition alongside Whitchurch.
EuroHockey Clubs Challenge III
Sliema Hotsticks HC vs Kringsja Sports Klubb 1-3
The third day of the Eurohockey Challenge III kicked off with a first win in the tournament for Kringsja Sports Klubb. The Norwegian side beat Sliema Hotsticks HC by a 3-1 margin, with goals coming from Abhishek Singh (2) and Baptiste Rogeau. Zuvedra Tauras vs Nacka 3-1
In the second Pool B match, Lithuanian side Zuvedra Tauras continued their winning streak, coasting to a 3-1 win over Swedish team, Nacka. This consolidated Zuvedra’s position at the top of the group with a well-deserved 15 points.
Copenhagen HC vs Gaziantep Polisgücü SK 1-4
With everything to play for in Pool A, host team Copenhagen HC faced Turkish side Gaziantep Polisgücü SK in a fierce encounter that saw the home side slide to a 4-1 defeat. The damage to Copenhagen’s aspirations came in the form of a hat trick for Mahmut Cengiz.
Start Berdyscev Region vs Baltic Champs 3-2
In the second game of the pool, Ukraine’s Start Berdyscev Region fought hard for a 3-2 win against Baltic Champs of Lithuania. The Ukrainian team secured second spot with 11 points but lost out to Gaziantep Polisgücü SK who took first place with a superior goal difference.
Pool A’s winners Gaziantep Polisgücü SK face Pool B runner up, Nacka LHK tomorrow, while the unbeaten Pool B winners, Zuvedra Tauras face Pool A’s runner up, Start Berdyscev Region. In the 3rd vs 4th place contest, Baltic Champs square off against Sliema Hotsticks HC while home side Copenhagen HC go up against Norwegians Kringsja Sports Klub.
EuroHockey Clubs Challenge IV
Two teams topped the EuroHockey Men’s Challenge IV as Soroksári – Olcote HC and HK Moravske Toplice ended four days of hockey action on equal points and with no losses during the tournament. The two teams from Finland, Kilparri and the host club ABC-Team came equal third.
Sebastian Leber and Tamas Suba, both of Soroksári – Olcote HC, were joint top scorers, both with five goals to their name.
FHC Slavia 1921 vs Floriana Young Stars HC 2-1
In the first game of the final day, Bulgarian team FHC Slavia 1921 came out on top in what was a close match against the Floriana Young Stars HC of Malta. The Maltese side took the lead through Luke Borg Constanzi but Slavia equalised after half time through Radoslav Grozkov and then Dimitar Malakov scored the winner in the 47th minute as he deftly put the ball past Waylin Abdilla in the Young Stars goal.
Építők HC vs Mortensrud-Aker SK 6-1
It took Építők HC of Hungary most of the first half to find the back of the goal but once they had breached the Norwegian defence, it was one-way traffic. Gergely Papp opened the scoring after some sustained attack by the Hungarians. Építők scored two more goals in the third quarter, then a further three in the last quarter. Shahbaz Asghar scored a consolation goal for Aker in the 56th minute.
Soroksári – Olcote HC vs HC Kilppari 3-0
Soroksári – Olcote HC of Hungary concluded their impressive tournament, beating Finnish team HC Kilppari with a 3-0 result. The Hungarians have remained unbeaten throughout the event and they didn’t look like they would let that record slip as they dominated this game from the start. Sebastian Leber (2) and Tamas Suba cemented their positions as top goal scorers, with Leber coolly dispatching two penalty corners and Suba punching on a ball to score from open play.
HK Moravske Toplice vs ABC-Team out of Finland 2-1
The final match of the tournament was HK Moravske Toplice of Slovenia against tournament hosts ABC-Team. This exciting game ended 2-1 and the Finnish team will be disappointed not to have forced at least a draw from the game. Peter Fras gave Toplice the lead in the fifth minute but ABC-Team kept battling and Tuomas Makinen evened things up in the 35th minute. The Slovenian team maintained their unbeaten status when Filip Bencik slammed home a penalty corner in the 50th minute.