A series of important and exciting games in the Regional League continued this weekend . The matches in Split and Kotor were the highlights of the 18th round.
Jadran Split defeated Radnicki after a penalty shootout – 21:20 (14:14, regular time), even though the hosts never took the lead during the four quarters.
The league leader, Jadran Herceg Novi, triumphed over its archrival, Primorac, in a closely contested match, winning 10:9.
Meanwhile, Novi Beograd easily secured points against Primorje. As a result, the race for the top spot remains tight. Jadran HN and Novi Beograd have won 45 points. Radnicki and Jadran Split are only two points behind the teams from Herceg Novi and Belgrade.
Radnicki was almost always in front of Jadran in the derby in Split. The hosts leveled the score three times in the first quarter (1:1, 2:2, 3:3). As the first period neared its end, Radnicki’s defense improved significantly. The visitors then went on a 3:0 run, establishing a solid 6:3 lead in the middle of the second quarter. Still, Jadran cut the deficit to one goal before the middle break (6:7).
Jadran equalized at 7:7 early in the third period. However, that was followed by new Radnicki’s 3:0 series in less than two minutes (10:7). By the end of the third quarter, the Serbian team widened the gap to four (12:8). But, Jadran didn’t say its last word. The Croatian champion opened the final quarter with three straight goals, pulling back into contention at 11:12. In the following minutes, the teams traded the goals. Radnicki entered the final minute leading 14:13 and had a nice opportunity to seal the victory. The visitors earned a man-up. But Marko Bijac made a crucial save. Jadran’s coach, Jure Marelja, called a time-out before his team’s last possession. Just three seconds before the final buzzer, Zovic found the net to make it 14:14 and prolonged the match into a shootout.
The thrilling marathon ended after 16 shots from the 5m line. In the 8th round, Marko Bijac saved a shot from Dusan Vasic. At the other end of the pool, Loren Fatovic made no mistake and Jadran took two points with a 21:20 victory.
It was a game with a lot of goals and exclusions (Jadran committed 17, and Radnicki 18 personal fouls. Each team left without three players before the shootout). The top scorers in regular time were Jadran’s Zvonimir Buric and Radncki’s Nikola Jaksic and Boris Vapenski with four goals.
Jadran Herceg Novi entered the Montenegrin derby, played in Kotor, as a favorite. Still, Jadran had a challenging task. Early in the second quarter, Jadran led 2:0, but the Kotor-based team responded with three goals in less than two minutes to go ahead – 3:2. At halftime, it stood 3:3. The visiting team regained its advantage in the third quarter, pulling ahead 5:3 and 6:4. However, the home side managed to equalize again at 6:6 by the end of the third quarter.
With less than four minutes remaining, it seemed that Jadran had secured victory as it led by three goals (10:7). Still, Primorac fought back, narrowing the deficit to 9:10. In the last minute, the hosts had a great chance to equalize, but Jadran’s goalkeeper Darko Djurovic saved a shot when his team was a man-down with 20 seconds remaining.
Veteran Aleksandar Ivovic was the best scorer of the winning team, finding the net three times. Kholod and Gojkovic added two goals each. Primorac’s Djordjije Stanojevic scored three goals, as well as Ivovic.
Novi Beograd cruised to a 19:6 victory over Primorje, highlighted by five goals from Nikola Lukic.
Sabac defeated Mladost 11:9, significantly diminishing Mladost’s chances of reaching the Final Four. Mladost controlled the game in the first half. Thanks to a 4:0 run, the Zagreb-based team, turned around a 1:2 deficit to a 5:2 lead. However, Sabac was coming back step by step. Mladost held a slim advantage before the final quarter (8:7), but Sabac dominated the fourth quarter. Andrija Korac (Sabac) and Konsantin Kharkov (Mladost) were the best scorers with both found the net three times.
Jug was better than Crvena Zvezda – 13:10 in Dubrovnik. The hosts’ 4:0 series between the 11th and the 20th minute was crucial, as they jumped from 5:4 to 9:4 during that span. Vlaho Pavlic led Jug with four goals, while Kristijan Sulc netted four for Crvena Zvezda.
Solaris narrowly beat Valis in Valjevo – 14:13, scoring a winner 44 seconds from the end.
2024/25 Regional League, Round 18
Jadran S – Radnicki 21:20 (3:4, 3:3, 2:5, 6:2, PSO 7:6)
Primorac – Jadran HN 9:10 (0:1, 3:2, 3:3, 3:4)
Novi Beograd – Primorje 19:6 (5:2, 4:1, 6:2, 4:1)
Sabac – Mladost 11:9 (2:2, 1:3, 4:3, 4:1)
Jug – Crvena Zvezda 13:10 (4:3, 3:1, 3:3, 3:3)
Valis – Solaris 13:14 (5:4, 2:4, 3:3, 3:3)
1. Jadran Herceg Novi 18 – 45
2. Novi Beograd 18 – 45
3. Radnicki 18 – 43
4. Jadran Split 18 – 43
5. Mladost 18 – 35
6. Sabac 18 – 24
7. Jug 17 – 19
8. Crvena Zvezda 18 – 18
9. Primorac 17 – 17
10.Primorje 18 – 17
11. Solaris 18 – 14
12. Valis Vega 18 – 1
The head-to-head matches between the tied teams: Jadran HN – Novi Beograd 13:15 and 13:9, Radnicki – Jadran S 14:12 and 20:21 (PSO)
