The second round of the Upper and Lower House in the Winner’s Handball League kicked off today (Friday), and the main game provided a top-flight battle between Hapoel Rishon LeZion and Molika AS Ramat Hasharon. The Reds, who were defeated in the previous meeting (30:26), came back with a dramatic 25:26 victory, which is also Ramat Hasharon’s first loss of the season after 12 consecutive victories.
In addition, Bnei Herzliya stunned Hapoel Ashdod with a crushing 31:38 victory. Maccabi Rishon LeZion did not have a hard time against Holon with a 25:33 victory, and thus – Ramat Hasharon and Hapoel Rishon LeZion in a tie – 24 points each (Ramat Hasharon is missing a game against Holon next month). At the same time, Maccabi Rishon Letzion Z clung to Ashdod in third place, and Bnei Herzliya is based in fifth place with a 5-point advantage over Holon in sixth place.
In the lower house – victory and debut points for Rehovot, after beating MK Beer Sheva 24:27, which continues to get involved in the struggle for survival. Luckily for BS, Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin achieved a dramatic victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv 33:34. Motzkin with his face towards the playoffs. Maccabi Tel Aviv will continue to fight for survival (Dimona was free today). Tomorrow the round will be completed, when in the lower house Hapoel Kiryat Ono will host AK Nes Ziona (18:45), after the two met only yesterday (Nes Ziona won 28:29 )
Hapoel Rishon LeZion – AS Ramat Hasharon 25:26 (9:13). The summit meeting opened with a very low score, when only after 12 and a half minutes Stefan Terzic scored the fifth goal of the game and set 2: 3 to Ramat Hasharon (in the opening minutes where goalkeepers Tom Shem Tov and Derek Arsic excelled), but continued with a great fight and revolutions. Stopped Ramat Hasharon, the best offensive team in the league (34 conquests on average) on a single-digit lead in the first half – thanks to the great ability of Tom Shem Tov who excels in the game.
Ramat Hasharon rose sharply to the second half, biting Hapoel’s advantage (in its ranks Shai Natan was sent off). Eden Ginji squeezed a penalty – the same Gil Pomeranz scored and set a tie 17:17 (42 ‘). Ramat Hasharon already climbed to a 20: 21, and 23:24, but within those minutes Shem Tov excelled, Oz Hammami scored a spectacular goal from the corner, and Tal Hershkovitz scored two goals (including Nadav Habib equalized) and led to a decision in the game in which Daniel Shekel and Milan Pavlovitz were sent off in Ramat Hasharon Sukic at Hapoel. They also scored for Hapoel – Milos Boisic 6, Sokic, Ilyich and Hammi 3 each, Celes 1. Shem Tov finished with 14 stops at 38 percent. In Ramat Hasharon – Gingi finished with 6 goals, Apo 4, Terzich and Ofir Cohen 3 each, Shekelim, Oberman and Pomerantz 2 each, Habib and Motula 1 each. Arsic – 15 stops at 37 percent.
In the upper house: Bnei Herzliya – Hapoel Ashdod 31:38 (13:18). While Ashdod came cheering from a victory over Maccabi Rishon LeZion, and Herzliya less after a loss to Hapoel Rishon LeZion – we won a very surprising game today on the part of Herzliya, which overwhelmingly won one of the championship candidates. In the ranks of Herzliya, goalkeeper Sagi Bonis and center Nemania Goodwick excelled.
MK Holon – Maccabi Rishon LeZion 33:25 (17:11). Montenegrin pivot Branko Kankresh was unstoppable with 8 goals from 9 attempts (the same balance of conquest as Ivan Karacic). Amir Schneider provided 7 goals (from 8 attempts), and in Rishon LeZion we can also mention Tzach Malul and Dor Calderon who managed the game well, and the young goalkeeper Yair Nikolaev (who grew up in Holon) who provided good minutes and stopped two penalties.
In the lower house – continues to be ‘happy’ at the bottom. The results of the opening round in the second stage – Maccabi Tel Aviv’s victory over Beer Sheva, and Dimona’s loss to Kiryat Motzkin – opened the battle for survival, as well as the battle for a place in the playoff quarterfinals (first two in the top house): Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin A 33:34 (18:18). Motzkin is already fully on his way to competing for promotion to the quarterfinals, after a dramatic victory today – Philip Laubch the pivot scored the winning goal 13 seconds to go, after Itai Turkenitz equalized in a penalty shootout to Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier.
MK Beer Sheva – Urban Rehovot 27:24 (13:11). Rehovot achieved victory and debut points and leaves itself little chance in the struggle for survival. BS, on the other hand, continues to get into trouble. BS played without its foreigners Stefan Chiric (who returned to Serbia due to a family problem) and the expelled Georgia Golobovic. Despite this, she started excellently and led 1: 4 in great minutes by Omar Simon and Doral Ben Saadoun. The continuation was of Rehovot, who already led by 4 goals in the second half. BS managed to equalize and turn the score around in the last minutes, but the extension belonged to Sabo Master, Matan Goltz, Dean Perlov alongside stops by Lior Kaplan. Sergei Sulima led the conquerors of Rehovot with 8 goals. Goltz added 7. BS – Doral Ben Saadon 7 goals.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the 3rd round will be held in the upper and lower house, after which the league will go on a national break (and the games against Lithuania and Iceland in the European Championship qualifiers) until March 19: Hapoel Ashdod will host AS Ramat Hasharon (19:00), Maccabi Rishon LeZion Bnei Herzliya (19:30) and Hapoel Rishon LeZion Holon (19:30). In the lower house (20:00 first hour) – Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin – Urban Rehovot. Tuesday: Maccabi Dimona – Maccabi Tel Aviv . AK Ness Ziona – MK Beer Sheva.
Last night, in the Athens Women’s League – in the main game – Maccabi Rishon Lezion, the champion defeated Maccabi Ramat Gan 27:29 (Nitzan Donai 9 goals, Amit Isaac 6, Shir Gabza 5, Shira Jerby and Kim Levy 4 each and Nelly Aminov 1 conquered for Rishon LeZion. Shir and Karat 9, Daniela Dragovich 5, Tali Barel 4, Hadar Dornbust 3, Dor Songo and Keren Teplitzky 2 each, May Yulzeri 1 conquered for Arazim). Rishon LeZion retains its second place and Maccabi RJ remains third with 16 points. Leading table leader Pandor Rishon LeZion defeated MK Holon (21:42) and with 19 points it retains its place at the top. The Herzliya girls won Easily beat Petah Tikva (17:42) and with 13 points it is based in fourth place and moves away from fifth, MK Petah Tikva.