The UHK Krems converted its first match ball and won the championship title in the Handball League Austria (HLA). After several attempts to catch up against the defending champion HC Hard, the Lower Austrians got the upper hand on Saturday evening with 28:26 (12:14) and won the “best of three” series 2:0. For the Wachauer it was the second HLA title in the club’s history, in 2019 the Kremser also triumphed against Hard in front of their home crowd.
The best thrower of the game was hard playmaker Ivan Horvat with nine goals, for the Kremser goalie Thomas Eichberger advanced to the match winner with a saved seven meter a few seconds before the end. Marko Simek also impressed with eight goals, which made him a big part of the Krems team’s fifth Austrian championship title. “I’ve been fever-free since yesterday. It was incredible, such a tough game. I’m just glad it worked out like that,” said Eichberger on ORF.
“Incredibly awesome. We can be very proud,” said Fabian Posch after his last game for Krems: “It’s pretty cheesy.” Krems coach Ibish Thaqi dedicated the triumph to his late mother. “Today is the title for my mom. She watched from above, otherwise she always saw every game,” said the coach and praised his team, who “deservedly” became champions.
For the former national player Jakob Jochmann, the active career ended with a highlight: “It’s indescribable. I’m living my dream, it couldn’t have been better,” said the 28-year-old. National player Dominik Schmid meanwhile was annoyed about missed chances. “In the end we didn’t convert the decisive situations. It’s bitter and the disappointment is huge,” said the hard professional.
In an intense game, the guests got off to a better start. After a quarter of an hour, Hard was leading 7:4, the previously outstanding goalie Golub Doknic parried half of all balls thrown at him up to that point. After the Wachau team equalized (8:8/21st), the guests gained a comfortable four-goal lead to 13:9 (28th). A goal from Eichberger across the entire field immediately before the break siren gave the hosts hope again.
After the change of sides, the Kremser managed to equalize, after three quarters of an hour they even took the lead (21:20). In an exciting final phase it went back and forth, Eichberger in particular kept the Lower Austrians in the game even when they were twice the man. A few seconds before the end, Eichberger saved a seven meter throw from Schmid.
(APA) / Image: GEPA
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