Industria Kielce Advance to Champions League Playoffs with Thrilling Win Over Kolstad OR Kielce Beat Kolstad, Secure 3rd Place in Champions League Group A

Kielce, Poland – Industria Kielce secured their place in the playoffs of the Machineseeker EHF Men’s Champions League after a narrow 27-26 victory over Kolstad Håndball on March 12th at Kolstad Arena in Trondheim, Norway. The win marked Kielce’s sixth consecutive victory and solidified their third-place position in Group A.

The match saw a fluctuating lead, with Kolstad initially taking control, spearheaded by Simon Jeppson. Despite briefly tying the score at 7-7, Kielce struggled to maintain momentum in the first half, trailing 13-14 at the break. Industria Kielce, officially known as KS Iskra Kielce SA, has a long history in Polish handball, founded in 1965 and reaching the top division in 1975, according to information from Wikipedia.

Kielce mounted a comeback in the second half, briefly taking the lead, but Kolstad proved resilient, consistently challenging their advantage. The game culminated in a dramatic finish, with Kolstad’s Martin Hovde scoring to bring the score to 26-27. A timeout called by Kielce coach Talant Dujshebaev led to a shot attempt by Arkadiusz Moryto that missed, giving Kolstad a final opportunity. However, Simon Jepsen’s last-second shot failed to find the goal, securing a one-point win for Kielce.

Szymon Sicko and Artsem Karalek led Kielce’s attack with seven goals each, supported by Piotr Adam Jarosiewicz with four goals. Kielce goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin was instrumental in the victory, making 15 saves. For Kolstad, Simon Jeppson scored eight goals, while Martin Hovde and Sigvaldi Guðjónsson contributed four goals apiece. Kolstad’s goalkeeper, Nicolai Neupart, recorded 11 saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the loss.

“It was a very difficult game. Kolstad fought until the finish, and we knew we had to fight for third place in the group. There were some things that did not go as planned, but we were able to win because our desperation for victory was greater,” said Kielce goalkeeper Clemen Perlin. Martin Hovde of Kolstad described the match as “a very physically difficult game and a disappointing loss.”

With this result, Kielce finished Group A with eight wins, one draw, and five losses (17 points). Kolstad ended the tournament in last place with two wins and twelve losses (4 points). Industria Kielce, previously known as Vive Kielce between 2002 and 2022, plays its home games at the Hala Legionów, which has a capacity of 4,200, as detailed on the club’s Wikipedia page.

Kielce’s advancement to the playoffs marks another chapter in the club’s successful history, which includes winning the EHF Champions League in 2016 and reaching the final four five times. The next stage of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League is scheduled to begin in late April.