With GKL women’s handball Krems-Langenlois, a team from the state league beat the WHA champion league representative from the state capital with 28:23 in the ÖHB women’s cup on Sunday evening. Andrea Halm’s brief comment “things aren’t going well right now” almost sounds like the understatement of the year.
With GKL Krems-Langenlois, the draw actually meant well for the St. Pölten women: this time the St. Pölten women missed the wide path to Vorarlberg. Even though Andrea Halm spoke of mixed feelings in advance: “This is an opponent that has never suited us!” After all, the relegated from the WHA Challenge in January suffered one of only two defeats against the promoted team in the WHA Master League Basic pass added (28:23).
At least the start went as expected this time – Mateja Urch scored the first goal from a penalty throw, Paula Fischer increased the score to 0-2 with a goal from the bar. However, a good Langenlois goalkeeper prevented the team from taking a higher lead. And GKL made it 3:3 in the 10th minute. It wasn’t until 6:6 (15th) that the St. Pölten attack got going again – 9:6 lead in the 18th minute! But the defense didn’t work, GKL equalized again just three minutes later to make it 10:10 and then went into the half-time break with a two-goal lead. In the second half, the St. Pölten women ran after the Langenloiser women. Only twelve minutes before the end there was a brief hope that the embarrassment could be averted when the goal was scored to make it 21:20 – but that was it. Coach Rita Varga-Borbás brought the entire squad into action, the youngsters Victoria Schreiner and Elisa Simlinger gave their all. In the last minute, Simlinger was stopped by a foul and suffered a knee injury, which completed the “used day” for the St. Pölten women. “Elisa’s injury hurts me even more than the defeat,” complains Halm. “Simlinger is a hope for the future and is on the verge of making it to the championship league!”
Coach Rita Varga-Borbás had already expected resistance from the Wachau women. “A young, hungry team that was unfortunately relegated from the WHA Challenge and wants to prove its skills,” she warned in advance and was proven right. But the defeat is still difficult to justify. Varga-Borbás sees the root causes primarily in a lack of self-confidence. “It’s been a while since our team’s last win. GKL wanted to win, we couldn’t lose!” There was also an unfortunate game. “Instead of finally being able to play freely in Langenlois and experience self-confidence and joy in playing again, the next setback comes!”
Falcons take a mandatory victory in Horn
Things didn’t go as planned for the St. Pöltner men in the first half of the Derby in Horn either. We went into the locker room with just one goal lead (16:15). But in the second round, Djukic’s team turned up the heat and was able to celebrate a clear 36:29 victory. Nikola Zakula was the most successful St. Pölten thrower with seven goals, ahead of winger Matthias Bruckner (6). Jan Neumayer did not make the trip to Horn.
Results
ÖHB Cup Women, 1st round: GKL KREMS-LANGENLOIS – UNION ST. POELTEN 28:23 (14:12). – St. Polten: Maticevic, Finck, Pfeffel; Weichhart (1), Zsigmond, Schlögl (1), Tichy, Simlinger, Buznea (1), Preiss (1), Urch (11), English, Fischer (2), Friebesz (6), Schreiner, Hörhann.
ÖHB Cup men, 1st round: UNION Sparkasse HORN – SU DIE FALKEN ST. POELTEN 29:36 (15:16). – St. Polten: Mark Hübner, Jakob Kögl; Nikola Zakula (7), Nils Moser (2), Martin Zettel (1), Jakob Tiefenbacher (5), Paul Pirkfellner (3), Matthias Bruckner (6), Alexander Pils, Paul Posset (4), Kevin Wieninger (4) , Johannes Kral (3), Kazuki Hokari (1), Jona Eberl.
