Matchday 14 brought all the excitement.
Starting with a nail-biting showdown between Sabadell and Mataro in the ‘El Classico’ that saw Mataro emerge as the victors with a slim 13-12 margin, snapping Sabadell’s 13-game winning streak in the process.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg as Tenerife staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Sant Feliu 14-13, and Rubi nearly caused a massive upset against Catalunya, although it was ultimately Catalunya who took the 10-8 win. Meanwhile, Mediterrani outscored Zaragoza in a high-scoring match. Sant Andreu dominated Barceloneta 10-3, while Terrassa crushed Boadilla 17-8 in Madrid.
Next up, four teams will represent the Spanish women’s league in European action – Sabadell, Mataro, Mediterrani and Terrassa. The first three will compete in the Champions League against Roma, Olympiacos and Glyfada Dunaujvaros, while Terrassa already have one foot in the door as they travel for their second leg of the Euro Cup quarterfinals against FTC Telekom.
Astralpool Sabadell 12 – 13 CN Mataro (1-4, 3-3, 5-1, 3-5)
Sabadell: L. Ester, M. Ortiz 1, P. Leiton, S. Van der Sloot, M. Serrano, I. Casado, E. Ruiz 1, M. Garcia, J. Forca 1, B. Ortiz 2, N. Perez 1, I. Gonzalez 6, M. Carrasco
Mataro: E. Sanchez, S. Morell 4, S. Van de Kraats 1, A. Gual 3, V. Sevenich 1, R. Keszthelyi-Nagy 3, C. Cambray, C. Nogue 1, S. Avegno, Q. Bertran, R. Gurri, M. Claveria, E. Herrera
In the clash of the season, it was Mataro that came away with a 13-12 victory over title rivals Sabadell with a late score inside the last minute from Cristina Nogue the only difference between the two sides.
Six goals from Irene Gonzalez will not be fondly remembered by Sabadell, as they lost to their ‘El Classico’ rivals for the third time this season (in all competitions), and for the second time in a row.
Silvia Morell played a key game against her former side, with three goals. Anna Gual converted three, as did Rita Keszthelyi – who is unrivalled as the leagues top goal scorer with 57 goals in 14 games.
Mataro more than deserved to end Sabadell’s 13th game winning streak in the league, but the game was far from as straightforward as it looked like it would be after the first six minutes of the game, when Mataro leaped out ahead to a 4-0 lead.
Strikes from Keszthelyi-Nagy, Silvia Morell and Anna Gual kept Mataro ahead at half-time (4-7), but with Bea Ortiz and Elena Ruiz striking back, Sabadell had awoken.
And before long, the reigning Champions were back level, with strikes from Irene Gonzalez and Judith Forca (7-7). In a dramatic last few moments in the third, it was Sabadell who led going into the last, via a conversion from Sabadell’s Gonzalez with just fifteen seconds on the clock (9-8).
The tussle spilt over in the fourth quarter, where Mataro, spearheaded by two goals from Silvia Morell, took the lead once more. But Gonzalez, with her fifth and sixth goals, looked like the game might just end in a draw with ninety seconds to play (12-12).
But Nogue, one of ten Spanish internationals on show in the game, found the all-important winning goal with little more than two attacks left in the match.
Both sides are in Champions League action next weekend. This result will do the world of good for Mataro, who face a daunting task against yesterday’s cup winners, Olympiacos. Meanwhile, Sabadell will really need to be on their game against Roma.
Tenerife Echeyde 14 – 13 CN Sant Feliu (2-2, 4-3, 2-5, 6-3)
Echeyde: F. Perez, M. Sagrera 2, C. Rios, B. McDowell 1, E. Dominguez, J. Rodriguez, E. Heloise 1, J. Bennasar Hernandez, M. Ramos 4, E. Alcon 2, E. Nicholson 4, A. Sanchez
Feliu: N. Trojan, J. Soler, M. Bargallo 3, A. Temprano 1, B. Goset 2, L. Herrera 1, M. Gomez, M. Manchego, I. Almeda, J. Panicello 5, L. Hidalgo, J. Figueroa, P. Carilla
Tenerife Echeyde staged a dramatic comeback in the last quarter, scoring five unanswered goals in just five minutes to defeat Sant Feliu 14-13 in a nail-biting match.
Emily Nicholson and Maria Ramos each scored four goals, while Judith Panicello’s five goals were not enough to secure the victory for Sant Feliu.
In a game full of twists and turns, Feliu arguably did more in the game to deserve the victory. With the score at 2-2 after eight minutes, and then 6-5 at half-time, Feliu then opened up what appeared to be a crucial two goal lead at the end of the third period (10-8), with Blanca Goset’s two goals inside the closing moments.
Soon into the fourth quarter, Sant Feliu had a three-point lead thanks to Ariadna Temprano’s conversion at 5:24.
But Echeyde, fueled by the home-court advantage, refused to give up and came back with a vengeance, taking revenge for their earlier defeat this season. The game was a true testament to the power of never giving up and fighting until the final whistle.
Tenerife’s seventh victory of the season keeps them in sixth place, ahead of another winnable home game in their next match against Barceloneta.
Zodiac CNAB 3 – 10 CN Sant Andreu (1-1, 0-3, 1-2, 1-4)
CNAB: A. Farre Colomina, P. Rodriguesz, N. Martin 1, C. Buscarons, N. Josifovic, J. Cereijo, U. De Sol Agusti, N. Mandic 1, I. Piralkova 1, R. Tarrago 1, S. Garcia, M. Madre Forte, B. Colominas
Andreu: A. Lorca, A. Campos, N. Perez, Q. Boixadera, G. La Farre Colominas 4, H. Shabb, M. Cordobes 2, E. Lemay-Lavoie 1, I. Martinez, T. Prentice, M. Palacio 1, A. Ruiz 1, M. Terre
Sant Andreu have their seventh straight victory in the Spanish league, defeating Barceloneta in a fairly straight-forward fashion.
Four more goals from Gisel La Farre Colominas makes her Sant Andreu’s highest goal-scorer from open play. Ariadne Ruiz has the most goals in total (37) for the team sitting in third when you consider penalty-throws; another 5m penalty shot today takes her to seven penalty goals this season.
The game itself was no disgrace for CNAB. After a dead-heat in the first quarter (1-1), Andreu had the guile to open up a sizable margin in the second quarter, 4-1, with two from Colominas, and the Ruiz penalty.
CNAB fought well, but couldn’t conjure a way to dissolve Feliu’s lead. Four consecutive scores midway through the last quarter (Colominas 2, Cordobes and Martinez) ended the debate.
Barceloneta’s last win came in early December.
CN Catalunya 10 – 8 CN Rubi (5-2, 2-3, 1-2, 2-1)
Catalunya: M. Terre, C. Ball, C. Diaz 2, O. Tarrino, G. Bellido, B. Pascual 3, R. Schuijt 2, A. Inglavaga, C. Leonard 1, S. Diaz 1, M. Van Rijn 1, G. Ribo, H. Perez
Rubi: E. Jimenez, A. Roldan, C. Penalver 1, C. Abellan, M. Ungria 1, A. Rodriguez, L. Rion, C. Moreno 1, R. Prieto 3, J. Prados, E. Vesperinas, A. Trivino 1, M. Sampaio
A terrible start from Rubi might have cost them dearly against Catalunya, with Gabor Egedi’s side winning for the sixth time this season, 10-8 at Can Toda.
Catalunya, a team enjoying a decent season this year, were more than grateful to be gifted a 4-0 start inside the opening five minutes (S. Diaz 1, C. Diaz 1, Pascual 1, Schuijt 1).
Marta Ungria’s two scores successfully resuscitated her team before Raquel Preito’s double-strike in the second really put the pressure on the hosts.
Rubi were then level before the end of the fourth, 7-7, and again into the final quarter, 8-8. But despite Rubi’s heroic comeback, it took a lot of energy out of them. No sooner had Rubi equalised in the last than Berta Pascual put Catalunya back ahead before Clara Diaz’s second goal delivered the all-important knockout blow.
CD Boadilla 8 – 17 CN Terrassa (2-7, 3-4, 2-2, 1-4)
Boadilla: C. Palacios, A. Wu 1, L. Roca, A. Urquiza, L. Campos, M. Peragon 3, A. Gonzalez, M. De Quinta, E. Prieto, A. Hernandez, C. Hagen, M. Gamero, P. Moreno Quinones
Terrassa: S. Domene, L. Ferrer 2, K. Paul 2, N. Morillo, C. Cantero 3, D. Quinzada 1, N. Ten Broek 1, P. Pena 1, A. Finestra, P. Camus 7, M. Manso, F. Bosveld, E. Arcas
Seven scores from Spanish International Paula Camus guided Terrassa’s happy trip to the Spanish capital to a healthy 17-8 victory.
Camus netted three inside the opening quarter to stamp her team’s authority on the game early on (7-2).
Boadilla were more competitive in the second, but once again, guided by a brace from Terrassa’s #10, Camus, Terrassa maintained their course. The side from East Madrid kept adding to their tally in the third, but couldn’t make a dent in Terrassa’s lead.
Double-strikes in the last from Cristina Cantero – to complete her hat-trick, and via Laura Ferrera gave Xavi Perez’s side a welcomed, convincing victory.
Terrassa will now exclusively prepare to defend their two-goal lead against Ferencvaros from their Euro Cup quarter final first leg, as they travel to the Hungarian capital next weekend.
ESC Zaragoza 10 – 21 CE Mediterrani (3-7, 2-4, 2-5, 3-5)
Zaragoza: I. Moreno, A. Escolano, M. Ciudad 4, I. Betran 1, S. Beltran, N. Coloma, N. Manero 1, I. Gracia, R. Fernandez 1, S. Burgos, L. Gomez, J. Tazueco 3, S. Betran
Mediterrani: I. Costa, A. Munoz 2, A. Crevier 6, A. Marcos, P. Prats 3, C. Rodriguez, C. Espar 5, D. Moreno 3, M. Viladot, L. Rodriguez, E. Berecibar, S. Lizotte, G. Palm
It wasn’t an exhibition of defending, but Mediterrani easily outscored Zaragoza in Aragon to take a 21-10 win back to Catalonia.
A double hat-trick from Axelle Crevier, supported by five strikes from Clara Espar, and hat-tricks from Paula Prats and Daniela Moreno did the damage up front for Marian Diaz’s side, who were never likely to lose to the league’s bottom side.
A first quarter hat-trick from the Canadian Crevier set the tone for the goal frenzy, with Medi leading 7-3 after eight minutes. Three straight scores for the visitors (Crevier 2, Espar 1) in the second quarter took Medi to double figures (10-3).
Second half hat-tricks from Paula Prats and Daniel Moreno did enough for Mediterrani’s attack, despite a gritty effort from Zaragoza.
Marian Diaz’s team have now won four matches in a row, but her Medi side now prepares for Champions League action this weekend, as they contemplate hosting a very difficult challenge posed by Hungarian side Dunaujvaros.
Next Matchday (11th February)
Tenerife Echeyde vs Zodiac CNAB
CN Catalunya vs ESC Zaragoza
CN Sant Andreu vs CD Boadilla
Standings
- Astralpool Sabadell – Played 14 – Won 13
- CN Mataro – 14 – 13
- CN Sant Andreu – 14 – 12
- CE Mediterrani – 14 – 11
- CN Terrassa – 13 – 9
- Tenerife Echeyde – 14 – 7
- CN Catalunya – 14 – 6
- Zodiac CNAB – 13 – 4
- CN Rubi – 14 – 3
- CN Sant Feliu – 13 – 3
- CD Boadilla – 14 – 2
- ESC Zaragoza – 14 – 0
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