Mataro, Echeyde and Boadilla close out the year with victories

December 18, 2022

Photo: Arsenio waterpolo

Three games, some standout individual performances, and an exciting penalty shootout capped off the final matchday of 2022 in the Spanish League.

In a hectic match that ended 10-10 in regulation time with both teams scoring in the final twenty seconds, Boadilla secured an excellent victory over Barceloneta in a penalty shootout. CNAB dropped three points, but still qualified for the Copa de la Reina.

Meanwhile in Santa Cruz, former Boadilla attacker, Maria Ramos, scored five goals as Tenerife Echeyde ended a four-game losing streak with a 14-11 victory over Rubi.

The week after Mataro qualified top of their Champions League group ahead of Sabadell, Dani Ballart’s team stay second in the Spanish League over the Christmas break; an incredible eight goals from Rita Keszthelyi helped her side down Zaragoza 25-9.

Only three games were played over the course of the weekend, with Sant Andreu defeating Mediterrani (10-9) and Terrassa defeating Catalunya (15-6) in earlier games.

The leaders of the league, Sabadell, were also not in action this weekend, but they will return early in the new year to play Sant Feliu on January 11.

Tenerife Echeyde 14 – 11 CN Rubi (3-3, 4-3, 4-1, 3-4)

Tenerife: E. Jimenez, A. Roldan, C. Penalver C. Abellan, M. Ungria 2, A. Rodriguez, L. Rion, C. Moreno 2, R. Prieto 2, C. Alonso 3, E. Vesperinas, A. Trivino 2, M. Sampaio

Rubi: J. Gaudreault, M. Sagrera, C. Rios, B. McDowell 2, E. Dominguez, J. Rodriguez 1, E. Heloise, J. Bennasar, M. Ramos 5, E. Alcon 2, E. Nicholson 3, A. Sanchez, F. Perez Paez

Tenerife beat CN Rubi 14-11, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Maria Ramos, who was instrumental in their promotion season last year, scored a game-high five goals, while New Zealand’s centre-forward continues to shine in Gran Canaria with three goals, bringing her total for the season to 21.

With the score tied at 6-6 late in the third quarter, Elena Alcon and Emily Nicholson scored one minute apart either side of the third quarter break to give Tenerife a two-goal lead. Another goal by Elena Alcon and two 5m penalties by Maria Ramos gave the home team the lead heading into the final period (11-7).

Echeyde’s five-goal lead in the final quarter thanks to Canadian international Blaire McDowell was enough to seal the deal; Rubi’s late brace from Carlota Alonso was consolation goals.

Karlos Ligero’s Rubi have dropped three straight games and have won just twice in ten matches so far, both times at Can Roses. The loss also prevents Rubi from qualifying for the Copa de la Reina in February.

CN Mataro 25 – 9 ESC Zaragoza (4-1, 7-2, 5-3, 9-3)

Mataro: M. Sanchez, S. Morell, S. Van de Kraats 6, A. Gual, V. Sevenich 1, R. Keszthelyi 8, C. Cambray 4, L. Dormua, R. Gurri, Q. Bertran 5, E. Perez, M. Murillo 1, E. Herrera

Zaragoza: I. Moreno, A. Escolano 2, M. Herrera 4, I. Betran, A. Sarinena, N. Coloma, N. Manero 1, M. Lahoz, J. Clemente, S. Perez, I. Grima, J. Tazueco 2, S. Betran

Mataro concluded 2022 with a dominant victory over the league’s cellar-dwelling Zaragoza.

The team of Dani Ballart, who returned to Spain on a high after qualifying for the next round of the Champions League, defeated the league’s only winless team.

For Mataro’s sharpshooters, it was a feeding frenzy. Rita Keszthelyi becomes the league’s leading scorer with eight goals in today’s game, bringing her total to 36 in 10 contests. Simone van de Kraats scored a double hat-trick, while Queralt Bertran scored five goals.

The Maresme enter the holiday break in second place, three points behind Sabadell.

CD Boadilla 15 – 14 CN Atletic Barceloneta (2-3, 2-1, 2-2, 4-4, PSO: 5-4)

Boadilla: C. Palacios, E. Camarena, L. Alvarez, E. Portillo 1, L. Campos, M. Peragon 3, E. Castellanos, M. De Quinta 1, E. Prieto 1, L. Kocsis 4, A. Gonzalez, A. Wu, P. Quinones

Barceloneta: A. Colomina, P. Rodriguez, N. Martin, C. Buscarons 1, N. Josifovic, J. Cereijo 1, U. Del Sol Agusti 1, N. Mandic 2, I. Piralkova 1, R. Tarrago 3, S. Garcia 1, M. Madre, B. Colominas

Boadilla and Barcelonta engaged in a highly entertaining match at M-86 in Madrid. Goals from both teams in the game’s final 20 seconds forced penalties, where Boadilla maintained composure to win a crucial three points.

Early on, Barceloneta had control of the match, and goals from Sandra Garcia, Carla Buscarons, and Serb Nada Mandic gave Marc Comas’ team a one-goal lead (3-2).

However, Boadilla turned things around, and goals from their summer signing from Hungary, Laura Kocsis, and Spanish player Esther Prieto gave the Madrid team a 4-3 lead. Esther Prieto then committed a penalty foul, which veteran Roser Tarrago successfully converted to tie the game at 4-4 going into halftime.

Boadilla goals from Kocsis (2), De Quinta, and the returning Elisa Portillo (from Long Beach) were offset by two more scores from Tarrago and a goal from Uma Del Sol Agusti in the final period as the tug-of-war continued.

With seventeen seconds left in the game, Julia Cerijo (CNAB), who missed a penalty right at the start of the fourth quarter, believed she had turned the game around from zero to hero. Margarita Peragon’s goal, which came just five seconds later, caused a frantic finish to the game and forced penalties.

It was expected that Roser Tarrago, from 5 metres out, would score on the first penalty in the shootout, but as it transpired, it was her 5m penalty miss that proved decisive.