Spain poses final hurdle for Hungary – U17’s European Championships final

The U17 European Championships Final is now determined, with Spain and Hungary set to meet at this stage for the first time. Hungary enters the final as strong favourites to secure their first women’s title in this age-group, as they have already defeated Spain 15-8 during the group stage. Nevertheless, Spain boasts an impressive track record of reaching the final.

In the first semi-final, Spain secured their place in their 5th U17 European Championship final by defeating Greece 9-5. Martina Claveria and Carlota Penalver, Spain’s top scorers, once again showcased their skills by netting three goals each. Spain effectively capitalized on their extra-player opportunities, converting 3 out of 4 (75%) compared to Greece’s 3 out of 12 (25%). Greece remained within striking distance for most of the game but found it challenging to close the gap as they were chasing the match.

On the other hand, Hungary confidently advanced to the final with an 11-5 victory over Italy. The Magyars were the superior side, displaying similar dominance as in their group stage encounter against the Setterosa. Half of Hungary’s goals were scored during powerplay situations, with Natasa Lendvai contributing three goals and Ezster Varro and Dominika Kardos adding two goals each. The Hungarian team is now positioned as the top contenders to win the championship.

Israel and the Netherlands will face each other in the 5th place play-off after both teams secured comfortable victories on Day 7. They have already met earlier in the competition, with the Dutch taking a 12-10 win in that match.

Israel showed resilience to defeat Croatia 12-7. Despite Croatia’s efforts to close the gap and come back into the game, they were unable to catch up to Israel’s lead, which was extended by four consecutive goals in the final quarter (scored by Katzir, Tirosh, and Raz). Croatia missed two penalty shots in the last quarter, but even if they had converted the second penalty with ten seconds remaining, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the match.

In the other match, the Netherlands achieved a comprehensive 13-5 win over the hosts, Turkiye. After a closely contested first period, the Dutch team took control with a four-goal streak in the second quarter. The Netherlands maintained their dominance in the second half and are now aiming to replicate their fifth place finish achieved in Sibenik two years ago.

France secured a 9th place finish with a narrow victory over Slovakia, edging past them 13-11 in an exciting match. Slovakia initially took the lead in the opening seven minutes (4-1), but two quick goals within the first minute, both from penalty shots, turned the tide in favor of France. The French team maintained a two-score lead throughout most of the game, although Nikita Petty of Slovakia brought her team within a single score with 1 minute and 45 seconds remaining. However, a decisive extra-player goal from Lara Andres of Mulhouse sealed the victory for France.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s strong performance in the second period secured them an 11th place finish as they defeated Malta 11-6. The Serbians dominated the second quarter, going on a 4-0 scoring run to extend their 4-2 lead to an 8-2 advantage by half-time. Jovana Radonjic shone as the top scorer with six goals in the match, bringing her total tally for the tournament to an impressive 30 goals, solidifying her position as one of the standout performers in the championship.

Semi-finals
Greece 5 – 9 Spain (1-3, 2-2, 1-2, 1-2)
Hungary 11 – 5  Italy (4-1, 3-2, 2-1, 2-1)

5-8 Semi-finals
Croatia 7 – 12 Israel (2-3, 1-3, 3-2, 1-4)
Turkiye 5 – 13 Netherlands (2-2, 0-4, 2-3, 1-4)

9th Final
Slovakia 11 – 13 France (4-3, 2-6, 2-2, 3-2)

11th Final
Serbia 11 – 6 Malta (4-2, 4-0, 2-2, 1-2)