Handball Goal Festival in Balingen: THW Kiel Fights Its Way Into Cup Quarter-finals
Balingen, Germany – THW Kiel secured a spot in the DHB Cup quarter-finals after a high-scoring battle against HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, winning 38-33 in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,350 at the Mey generalbau arena on Saturday. Despite a strong challenge from Balingen,including a second-half lead,Kiel ultimately prevailed thanks to key goals from Harald Reinkind and Elias Ellefsen a Skipagötu.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, showcasing the offensive prowess of both teams.The DHB cup, Germany’s premier domestic cup competition, offers a direct path to European handball glory, with the winner earning a coveted spot in the EHF European League.This victory keeps Kiel’s hopes alive for a trophy and continued European competition.
Balingen started strong, with ex-Zebra Magnus bierfreund contributing three goals. By the 17th minute, they had narrowed the gap to 10-11. Kiel responded, extending their lead to 17-13 by the 23rd minute and entering halftime with a 21-17 advantage, despite a 57 percent throw rate for HBW.
The second half saw a dramatic shift as Balingen, fueled by their home crowd, mounted a 4-0 run to take a 23-24 lead. Sascha Pfattheicher tied the game at 25-25 in the 38th minute, prompting a timeout from a visibly frustrated Filip Jicha. Pfattheicher then gave HBW the lead again at 27-26 in the 40th minute.
The introduction of Elias ellefsen a Skipagötu, returning from an injury sustained during the international break, proved pivotal for Kiel. His contributions helped the team regain a four-goal lead by the 50th minute (30-34). Despite an injury to right winger Lukas Zerbe, who twisted his ankle and was assisted off the court by Wolff and Laube, Kiel maintained control, ultimately sealing the victory with goals from Laube and Skipagötu to reach 38-33.
HBW balingen-Weilstetten – THW Kiel: (17-21)
HBW Balingen-Weilstetten: Kornecki,Bierfreund; Locher,Raguse,Strobel,Grüner,Wente,Bänsch,Fügel,Flad,Heinzelmann,Pfattheicher,Dayan,Leimeter,Pöhle,Bauer
THW kiel: Wolff,Hanns; Dutch,Reinkind,Landin,J. Dahke, Laube, Johansson, Ankermann, R. Dahke,Zerbe,Bilych,Skipagötu,Imre,Nacinoovic
Referees: Thomas Kern / Thorsten Kuschel.
