Karpaty and Elblag take last semi-final tickets

HC Karpaty and EKS Start Elblag took the last two semi-final tickets in the Women’s Challenge Cup this weekend.

Karpaty were three goals down ahead of their home game against HC Vardar junior after losing 22:19 in Skopje last Monday. However, this deficit turned out to be no problem for the Ukrainian team on their home court in Uzhgorod.

By half-time Karpaty were already leading by six goals at 14:8, and at the final whistle could celebrate a 28:17 win and their first European Cup semi-final in history.

21-year-old right back Daria Kot, who was also Karpaty’s top scorer in the first match, scored seven goals this time, while right wing Natasha Nolevska scored five for Vardar junior.

In the semi-finals running over the first two weekends in April, Karpaty will be up against Turkish Kastamonu B. Genclik SK, who qualified last weekend when they defeated Virto / Quintus.

Rocasa Gran Canaria ACE also qualified last week, and their semi-final opponents will be Polish EKS Start Elblag. Elblag went in to the second-leg game defending a four-goal lead against Izmir BSB SK after winning 29:25 at home in the first match.

This four goal lead turned out to be enough for the Polish team when they visited Izmir Sunday. Though the Turkish side won 21:19, it was not enough to catch up with Elblag’s lead from the first leg.

Centre back Fatma Atalar scored eight for Izmir and left back Sylwia Lisewska contributed six for Elblag to be the top scorers of the match.