Only one goal is missing: HV Olten dramatically missed promotion to the NLA

Olten’s 28:26 win in the Barrage second leg against Herzogenbuchsee remains worthless. The first leg mortgage is too high. “We were the better team for 105 of the total of 120 minutes,” says coach Christian Müller and hopes for a new attempt in the coming season.

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The Barrage second leg cannot be beat in terms of drama. Sixty minutes of excitement in the field and a deafening noise from the two fan camps in the stands. And then the heartbeat finale: Herzogenbuchsee in possession of the ball. Top korerin Anina Steiner first stuck on the Olten block and with the second degree on goalkeeper Stephanie Knörr. Short cheers from the Olten women, still 28:26 in front – one goal is missing. Trainer Christian Müller immediately runs to the timekeeper table and takes a timeout.

13 seconds remain on the clock. So the last attack of the season has to be carried out very quickly. Ivana Müller-Ravlic opens it with the pass to the left to Hannah Bopp. Bounce once, make two or three meters and put the ball back in the middle to Ravlic-Müller. The defender takes action – foul. Five more seconds. Lina Büttiker to Ravlic-Müller, who is put back by the opponent.

Then it’s over. The HVO players go down. Exhausted from the long championship that began in early September. But most of all disappointed. Again nothing with the promotion to the NLA. In the past season, they were slowed down by the corona virus and the end of the season. One hit is missing this year.

“We can look for this goal anywhere,” says coach Christian Müller after the drama. “But we don’t have to. We were the better team for 105 of the total of 120 minutes. ” Only the starting quarter of the first leg on Wednesday was weak. In which the NLB best “had to get used to the level” and negotiated the capital arrears. It was 4:10 after 15 minutes. After a significant increase, Olten had to admit defeat with a three-goal difference in the end.

No deep mortgage for the second leg, but also no hopeless situation. What the HV Olten impressively demonstrated. The Olten women started nervously again, but this time they got into the game after a little more than four minutes and the 1: 2 by Tospkorerin Nina van Polanen. Despite serving two early penalties, they were in the lead for the first time in the eighth minute. After a quarter of an hour, they equalized the deficit from the first leg. And when Cedrine Zanitti scored 8: 4, they also led the overall score for the first time – timeout and total uncertainty at Herzogenbuchsee.

By the time the team changed sides, the HVO extended their lead to six goals. “We’d have to win the game with five goals,” the coach quarreled afterwards. In the second half, the team missed the last consequence at times. “We weren’t very active and cleared up in attack and we didn’t take the last step on the defensive. It is really small things that were decisive in the end. “

The NLA team improved in the second half. After 45 minutes it was Herzogenbuchsee’s turn again – 19:21. With Simona Negroni’s goal at 27:24, the Olten women were mathematically in the NLA for the last time seven minutes before the end. Their victory was never in danger in this second leg. But it was too close. A damned gate. And actually it is more the too high home defeat three days before that prevented the promotion.

«We can’t blame ourselves for much. Our plan worked for the most part, ”says Christian Müller. “We’ll need a moment to stop this sagging. Then, I hope, we’ll launch a new attack next season. ” How the squad will change also depends on the development of the corona situation. This season the championship in the NLB was interrupted for a long time. Including the mode change, the HV Olten only played 13 games.

After six games, participation in the barrage was already certain. Because the reserve teams of the NLA clubs Brühl and Zug Olten were the biggest competitors. The final round was a farce. Müller has to fear that players with NLA ambitions will not do another season in the second highest league. “We will have to hold intensive discussions,” he says. “We are all jointly responsible for the situation and can correct it together over the next year.”