Lille, Nice and Bordeaux all managed to secure three points on the opening weekend of games in the Women’s Championnat de Elite in France.
Lille had the toughest assignment this weekend, but the reigning champions showed they meant business against Mulhouse. Nice were more than capable of seeing off Nancy, while Bordeaux find themselves top of the league, having beaten the Swiss national team twice in as many days.
LUC Metropole Water-Polo 14 – 10 Mulhouse WP (2-3, 7-4, 3-1, 2-2)
LUC: M. Rycraw, M. Ouchache, L. Baes, G. Fitaire 2, E. Hardy 1, G. Deike 4, V. Kordonskaia 2, E. Bovali, O. Hertzka, M. O’Reilly, A. Kochetova 3
Mulhouse: L. Cruz, M. Le Roux 1, A. Battu 3, L. Forgacs 2, L. Guillet 1, L. Jean Michel 2, K. Mihaly 1, C. Sanglard, A. Van Dyke, V. Kretzmann-Bahia, M. Durand, A. Daule, R. Edgerton
The reigning champions, Lille got an important win in their opening game against Mulhouse. Gesa Deike had a fantastic opening game of the season with four goals, while Lille’s two Russian born players, Anna Kochetova (3) and Veronika Kordonskaia (2) both featured on the scoresheet.
The game was honours even until the midway point, when the hosts managed to break away, building a 9-5 lead thanks to conversions by Hertzka, Hardy and Kochetova.
Mulhouse came back fighting in the third with scores from the Hungarian Kinga Mihaly and Aurelie Battu. But Lille steadied the ship courtesy of two finishes by German International, Gesa Deike. A goal either side of the start of the last quarter from Gabrielle Fitaire guaranteed the points for Clara Baetens team.
Olympic Nice 12 – 6 Grand Nancy Aquatique Club (3-1, 3-1, 5-4, 1-0)
Nice: M. Chabrier, L. Lottero, B. Van de Velde 3, J. Kohli 2, K. Noy, A. grass, M. Barbieux 2, K. Hasyaoui, S. Amcher, E. Cugnart, Y. Deschampt 1, I. Di Bartolo 4, C. Gaal, J. Nicolai
Nancy: L. Council, A. Sabouriaut 2, C. Hanzo, M. Betard, P. Vizcarra, S. Pacheco Herce, L. Fanara 2, S. Khaddan, K. Benlekbir, A. Gabriele 1
Nice made a solid start to their Ligue 1 campaign with a deserved victory over Nancy. Their foreign players aided them in front of goal, with Italian Ilaria Di Bartolo (4), Blom Van de Velde (3), and Jaqui Kohli (2) all scoring.
The first half followed the same pattern; Lille dominated, opening up a 3-0 lead, and it was 6-2 by the end of sixteen minutes.
Nancy rallied in the third, but Nice kept the scoreboard ticking over (Di Bartolo 2, Van de Velde, Barbieux, Kohli). Blom van de Velde’s penalty was the only goal in the last.
USB Bordeaux 15 – 8 Switzerland National Team (3-1, 1-0, 6-5, 5-2)
Bordeaux: M. Bouchard-Cote, M. Machado 2, C. Magano 4, J. Ribes 1, C. Leminhi, T. Da Cuhna, K. Chadly, B. Marty, M. Horcholle 2, A. Danet 5, E. Barriere, H. Guillout-Ducours, C. Renociat
Switzerland: L. Friedman, K. Klapez 1, L. Rohde, P. De Feo 5, P. Zwicky, M. Stucki 1, F. Schurter, L. Oberli, M. Adler 2, A. Morgenegg, M. Schmidt
USB Bordeaux 15 – 5 Switzerland National Team (2-0, 5-1, 4-0, 4-4)
Bordeaux: M. Bouchard-Cote, M. Machado 4, C. Margano 3, J. Ribes 1, C. Leminihi, T. Da Cuhna, K. Chadly, B. Marty, M. Horcholle 1, A. Danet 3, E. Barriere 3, M. Houllier, H. Guillout-Ducours, C. Renociat
Switzerland: L. Friedman, M. Schmidt, K. Klapez 1, L. Rohde, P. De Feo, P. Zwicky, M. Stucki 3, F. Shurter, L. Oberli, M. Adler
It was a straight-forward victories for Bordeaux when they played the Swiss twice this weekend, putting fifteen goals past Vlademir Bajkovic’s team on Saturday and Sunday.
Andrea Danet was in good goal-scoring form in both games, netting five in the first and three in the second. It was a good weekend for Bordeaux’s two Portuguese Internationals; Carolina Magano totted up seven scores in the two fixtures, while Maria Machado accumulated six over both games
Standings
- USB Bordeaux – 2 – 6pts
- Olympic nice – 1 – 3pts
- LUC Metropole – 1 – 3pts
- INSEP – 0 – 0pts
- Mulhouse WP – 1 – 0pts
- Grand Nancy – 1 – 0pts
- Switzerland – 2 – 0pts
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