Defeat also in the second leg: VfL loses against HSG Bensheim/Auerbach 25:28 › VfL Oldenburg Handball Women

But this plan didn’t really work. 8.15 minutes had been played when Oldenburg’s coach Niels Bötel took the first time out. His team hadn’t even managed to score a goal against a good defense, but the guests had already pulled ahead with five goals, some of which were worth seeing. Immediately afterwards, national player Toni Reinemann scored the first goal for VfL, but this did not initially herald a real comeback. Only as the game went on did the Oldenburg women find their way, and Lena Feiniler even reduced the score to 11:14 (27th minute). By the halftime siren the deficit had increased again to 12:17. “We didn’t do anything wrong in the first half,” said Bötel after the game: “We had some good chances right at the start, which we didn’t take advantage of and didn’t really get deep. With the deficit it was almost impossible to make Bensheim nervous again.”

Things didn’t get any easier in the second round either. Ten minutes after the restart the deficit had grown to ten goals (14:24). At this point, Coach Bötel had called Sophie Fasold between the posts for Madita Kohorst, who particularly showed her class when she missed two seven-meter throws. Bensheim was always able to move well on defense and close the gaps. The Bötel seven were not discouraged by this and tried to generate a power play with the seventh field player. With success: After an impressive counter-attack by Lana Teiken, the Oldenburg women reduced the score to 21:26 (55th), and a minute and a half before the end Toni Reinemann even made it 25:28 – the final score. “We showed really good morale once again after being significantly behind,” praised Bötel. “We currently only have a few options in terms of personnel, but it was a really strong performance.”

After exhausting weeks, the Oldenburg handball players now have time for regeneration and preparation for the next part of the season in the next few weeks. Due to the women’s handball world championship in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the next VfL game is scheduled for Wednesday, December 27th. Then VfL welcomes Thüringer HC in the small EWE Arena.

VfL Oldenburg – HSG Bensheim/Auerbach 25:28 (12:17)

VfL: Kohorst, Fasold, Humpert – Borutta (1), Teiken (3), Reinemann (4), Martens (1), Carstensen (3), Feiniler (3), Röpcke (2), Knippert (3), Korsten, Golla (1), Ronge (1)