19.11.2017, 10:40
Final spots in Women's Challenge Cup Last 16 taken

ROUND REVIEW: A week ago four teams already made it through, now 12 more teams - including the champions from the past two seasons - have entered the bowl for Tuesday's draw

Final spots in Women's Challenge Cup Last 16 taken

All participants for the Last 16 in the Women’s Challenge Cup have been determined.

Four teams had already qualified after double-headers last weekend, and the remaining 12 teams have followed this weekend.

All is set for the draw in Vienna on Tuesday at 11:00 hrs.

Both cup winners from the previous two seasons are among the teams in the Last 16, and neither of them had much trouble getting that far.

Defending champions HC Lokomotiva Zagreb had a reassuring 37:19 lead with them from their away game against UCH Müllner Bau Stockerau, and even though the Croatian team did not win nearly as big on home ground, the 24:19 was still more than enough.

Rocasa Gran Canaria, who won the tournament in 2016, had won their first leg away against Dutch Maedilon/ZSV 32:26. At home, the Spanish side left no doubt at all and cruised into the Last 16 with a 32:18 win.

ZRK Naisa Nis got ready for the next round already Saturday as the Serbian side won the second leg of their double-header at home against Maccabi Arazim Ramat gan 25:20.

Naisa Nis had won the first leg Friday evening also with five goals (28:23).

More than 10 goals were separating the Nordic neighbours Boden IF from Sweden and HIFK from Finland after the first leg as Boden had won their first European match in history 34:21 at home.

In the return match, Boden added another huge win (28:21) to go safely through.

Boden will not be the only Swedish team in the Last 16, as Kristianstad Handball Klubb also made an impressive first appearance in Europe.

In Idrottshallen Kristianstad, they won the two matches in their double-header against Belgian Femina Vise 27:13 and 25:10.

ACME-Zalgiris Kaunas had all but secured their spot in the Last 16 by beating London GD Handball Club 42:13 in the home game.

In London, the Lithuanian team easily confirmed their Last 16 berth with a 32:21 win.

ZORK Jagodina had also taken a decisive step towards the next stage in their first leg, which they won 29:20 in Austria against ATV Trofaiach.

In the second leg, the Serbian side won even bigger, 31:29.

A further team, which had practically qualified for the Last 16 before the second leg, were Turkish Ardesen GSK, who were also in the Last 16 last season.

Ardesen won the first match at home against DHB Rotweiss Thun SPL 1 as big as 36:17, so it will not have mattered much to them to draw 23:23 in the return match in Switzerland.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / ew