Zagreb win Challenge Cup title with two victories

It was third time lucky for HC Lokomotiva Zagreb. After losing the Cup Winners’ Cup Final in 1996 and 1998, they finally took a title when they followed their four-goal win at home against Höör on Sunday with a three-goal victory in Sweden on Saturday.

The first half was equal, but after the break, Höör were not able to copy their achievement from 2014 and win the cup.

FINAL, SECOND LEG
H 65 Höörs HK (SWE) vs HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) 21:24 (10:10)
Lokomotiva win 47:40 on aggregate

Lokomotiva celebrated their first European trophy in history, while Höör had to settle for being runners-up in the competition they won three years ago.

Höör had the initiative for most of the first half of the second leg in Sporthallen, Höör on Saturday evening.

The home team were leading by two goal several times, which decreased the aggregate deficit to half that which remained from the first leg when Lokomotiva won 23:19.

However, after the visitors kept the half-time score equal, they dominated the second half.

Höör had just as much trouble with Lokomotiva’s flexible defence as in the first match in Zagreb, and as Lokomotiva went from 13:13 to 18:13 with five straight goals early in the second half, the match was essentially decided.

Höör would have to win by at least five goals after only having scored 19 away, but Zagreb pulled in front to 20:15 just a few minutes later.

Though Höör tried pushing their defence further forward and playing seven-against-six in attack, they only managed to reduce the deficit to two goals a couple of times towards the end. At that point, the matter was long decided, and Zagreb could celebrate.

Centre back Stela Posavec scored no less than 10 goals for Lokomotiva Zagreb, while Sofia Hvenfelt and Mikaela Mässing contributed four each for Höör.