Despite Thüringer securing a comfortable win, Valcea came close to turning the tide around minute 30. But left back Johanna Reichert stepped up a gear, delivering an incredible performance for Thüringer to put her team in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Romania.
QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG
Thüringer HC (GER) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) 35:29 (17:15)
The home side were off to a good start, backed by the good performance of goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle, and they quickly built a five-goal lead. Valcea struggled offensively, managing just two goals in 10 minutes, with only wing Nathalie Hagman able to break through the opponents’ defence. In the first half it seemed Thüringer would cruise to victory, having their biggest lead at seven goals, but the Romanian side mounted a comeback and narrowed the gap to 15:16. Although Valcea kept pouncing, their momentum lasted only 10 minutes.
On the other side, Reichert became Thüringer's hero, netting 14 times in 40 minutes, giving her side a much-needed break and more relaxed lead. Although Thüringer could not restore their biggest lead, they secured a comfortable six-goal win. Reichert finished with 15 goals, while Dinah Eckerle closed the game with 14 saves at a rate of 33 per cent. For Valcea, Alicia Toublanc and Ioana Rebeca Necula joined Hagman as the team's top scorers, with all three netting five goals.
