Last EHF European Cup Women semi-final berths decided

• one double-header took place in the quarter-finals in Iceland, where the home team Valur played twice against DHC Slavia Praha, winning the first match 28:21; Slavia Praha dominated the second encounter in the first half, but later on Valur improved their attacking force and secured a draw (22:22); the Icelandic team made it to the semi-finals, winning 50:43 on aggregate
• the other Icelandic side in the competition, Haukar, started very effectively at home against Hazena Kynzvart, reaching a massive 10-goal advantage at one point in the first half, but they were not able to keep that gap; Haukar’s 27:22 victory was not enough for them, as Hazena Kynzvart booked their place in the semi-finals by 57:51 on aggregate
• MSK IUVENTA Michalovce were one goal down against MKS Urbis Gniezno at the end of the first half, but last year’s runners-up managed to turn the game around and won the second leg 26:22; Michalovce qualified for the semi-finals by 62:43 on aggregate
• several amazing individual performances stole the spotlight over the weekend; Sabrina Novotná (Hazena Kynzvart) was the best among the goalkeepers with 16 saves and 51.61 per cent saving efficiency; the top scorers’ crown goes to Simona Schreibmeierová (DHC Slavia Praha) who netted six goals in the first leg on Saturday and nine more on Sunday

Icelandic report card: two wins, one semi-finalist

There were two clashes between Icelandic and Czech clubs in the quarter-finals: DHC Slavia Praha met Valur, while Hazena Kynzvart encountered Haukar.

After a brilliant performance in the first leg, Hazena entered the second leg of the quarter-finals with huge confidence. Despite their defeat on Saturday, they managed to qualify for the semi-finals.

The other Icelandic-Czech encounter was the only double-header played over the weekend. The first match in Reykjavik was dominated and won by Valur and the Czech team almost turned it around in the second leg, but had to settle for a draw. Finally, Valur made it to the semi-finals with a better score on aggregate.

Photos © MKS URBIS Gniezno (main), Olgeir Andresson (in-text)