12.03.2017, 08:58
Defending champions Rocasa out of Women's Challenge Cup

DAY REVIEW – A three-goal win at home against Lokomotiva Zagreb was not enough for reigning Women's Challenge Cup champions Rocasa Gran Canaria to reach the semi-final of the competition.

Defending champions out of Women's Challenge Cup

The Women´s Challenge Cup will have a new winner this season after defending champions Rocasa Gran Canaria ACE were sent out of the tournament on Sunday.

Rocasa won 26:23 at home against HC Lokomotiva Zagreb in the second leg of their quarter-final tie against the Croatian side.

However Lokomotiva won the first leg at home 29:24, meaning Rocasa's performance in the return match was not quite good enough.

The score was 12:12 at half time in Gran Canaria on Sunday afternoon, so already at this point, Lokomotiva were close to the semi-final.

In the second half, Rocasa managed to take a three-goal lead and also win the match by three, but this was not enough to take the semi-final ticket out of the hands of the visitors.

Almudena Rodriguez scored seven goals for Rocasa, the same number as Larissa Kalaus scored for Lokomotiva Zagreb.

In the semi-final, Lokomotiva will be facing Dutch team Virto/Quintus who qualified last weekend after beating LK Zug Handball.

Both Spanish teams miss out

Spain will be without representation in the semi-final this season, with Rocasa's exit followed by that of Mecalia Atletico Guardes.

Mecalia were sent out of the competition later on Sunday by H 65 Höörs HK.

The Swedish side, who won the tournament in 2014, were leading 24:21 after the first leg at home. Their coach Ola Månsson expressed concern that the three-goal lead would be not be enough in the return match.

In fact it turned out to be more than enough, as Höör won the away game by an even bigger margin - 29:24.

The first half of the match in Pontevedra was evenly-matched, but with Höor in the lead by a goal or two most of the time.

The visitors were also leading by two after the first half, which they won 14:12.

In the second half, Höör soon extended their lead to three goals, extending the margin to six at one point before finally winning by five.

In their semi-final, Höör will be up against DHC Sokol Poruba from the Czech Republic.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / jh