The U17 Women’s European Championships have progressed to the quarterfinal stage, with Turkiye, the host nation, securing their place among the eight quarter-finalists.
The newly implemented format aimed to provide lower-ranked teams with better opportunities to advance to the later stages of the competition. However, the outcome revealed that seven out of the eight teams in the upper tier of the competition successfully secured their spots in the quarter-finals.
Greece vs Croatia
Hungary vs Turkiye
Spain vs Israel
Netherlands vs Italy
Among the intriguing matchups in this round, the Netherlands versus Italy promises to be an enticing encounter, while Spain and Greece are seen as strong favourites to advance to the semi-finals, facing Israel and Croatia, respectively.
The highly favoured Hungary, regarded as the tournament favourites, are expected to continue their impressive performance against the local team Turkiye, barring any significant upsets.
Day 5, U17 Women’s European Championships, Manisa, Turkiye
Turkiye are into the quarter-finals of their home European Championships, defeating division 1 France 9-5. The Turks have deservedly guaranteed a top-8 finish with an excellent performance in front of their home crowd.
During a closely contested match with the teams tied at 4-4, a crucial penalty by Derin Pehlivanoglu just 14 seconds before half-time provided Turkiye with a significant momentum shift heading into the break. Adding to their advantage, Turkiye managed to score the only goal in the third quarter, creating a small yet significant margin for the French to overcome.
In the final quarter, Turkiye’s potency in their first two powerplay opportunities, both converted by Hanzade Dabbag, solidified their lead, allowing them to play with confidence and ultimately secure a historic victory for the Turkish team.
There were nothing to see but one sided action in the other three of the cross-over matches, with Croatia dominating Slovakia 21-7, Italy thrashing Malta 20-3 and Israel downing Serbia 18-4.
Croatia displayed a dominant performance against Slovakia, securing a commanding 21-7 win. The Croatians exhibited their superiority, capitalizing on 7 out of 9 penalty throws for goals. Notably, seven players recorded double-scores, with Jadran Split’s Jelena Butic, the youngest of the four Butic sisters in Croatia’s senior national team, impressively scoring five times.
Similarly, Italy demonstrated their ruthless form against Malta, delivering a resounding 20-3 victory. The ‘mini Setterosa’ took control from the start, establishing a 6-0 lead and extending it to a 13-1 advantage by halftime. Although the second half witnessed a slightly more modest performance, Italy’s dominance spared the Maltese from further challenges. Eleonora Bianco from Locatelli’s team stood out, contributing four goals for the Italian side.
Israel’s exceptional junior programs continue to flourish, as evidenced by their remarkable 18-4 triumph over Serbia. This victory ensures Israel a quarter-final meeting with Spain. A first-quarter hat-trick from Yuval Raz and a shutout in the first half (9-0) significantly contributed to Israel’s commanding lead. Two of Serbia’s three goals were secured during numerical superiority situation
Great Britain and Romania are set to face each other in the 13th place final, having reached this stage through contrasting paths.
Romania secured a narrow victory over Ireland, prevailing 8-7 in a tightly contested match that remained uncertain until the final moments. Amalia-Cosmina Novacean’s remarkable hat-trick in the fourth quarter provided Romania with a decisive three-score lead, leaving Ireland unable to mount a comeback despite late opportunities.
On the other hand, Great Britain dominated Switzerland with a convincing 14-3 win. Amelie Perkins played a key role for the British team, netting an impressive five goals, despite encountering some difficulty with two missed penalty shots.
13-16 Semi-finals
Great Britain 14 – 3 Switzerland (1-1, 6-1, 3-0, 4-1)
Ireland 7 – 8 Romania (2-2, 2-1, 0-2, 3-3)
Crossover matches
Croatia 21 – 7 Slovakia (5-1, 5-2, 6-2, 5-2)
Italy 20 – 3 Malta (8-1, 5-0, 3-1, 4-1)
Israel 18 – 4 Serbia (6-0, 3-0, 4-2, 5-2)
France 5 – 9 Turkiye (1-2, 3-3, 0-1, 1-3)
Tournament Schedule
08:00 – 15th Final – Switzerland vs Ireland
10:30 – 13th Final – Great Britain vs Romania
12:00 – 9-12 Semi-final – Slovakia vs Serbia
13:30 – 9-12 Semi-final – France vs Malta
16:30 – Quarter-final – Greece vs Croatia
18:00 – Quarter-finals – Hungary vs Turkiye
19:30 – Quarter-finals – Spain vs Israel
21:20 – Quarter-finals – Netherlands vs Italy
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