Norway win Golden League tournament
We are just under two months away from the Women’s EHF EURO throwing off in Denmark and Norway and last week saw eight participants play their first test matches of the season.
Norway won the Golden League tournament in Denmark in style. The seven-time EHF EURO champions won all three matches against top opponents.
Following the 28:21 victory against their joint-EHF EURO 2020 hosts Denmark, Thorir Hergeirsson’s side beat defending champions France 29:28 after an equal first half.
The highlight game’s top scorer was Györ back Veronica Kristiansen with nine goals, while Pauletta Foppa netted five times for France. Emily Stang Sando was vital in goal for Norway in the final minutes but it was a missed lob by Laura Flippes with the final throw of the match which denied France an equaliser.
In the third match, Norway took victory against an improved Montenegro team 34:28 (20:15) in the 250th international match for wing Camilla Herrem and the 200th cap for line player Marit Malm Frafjord.
Itana Grbic, Djurdjina Jaukovic (both Montenegro) and Henny Reistad (Norway) each scored seven goals.
The 2012 EHF EURO champions finished the Golden League without a point. After the 29:13 loss against France in their opener, they were easily brushed aside again by Denmark.
The Danes took a 36:23 victory and had decided the match already at half-time (20:11). Maria Fisker was the top scorer for the hosts on her return to the team with eight goals, Jovanka Radicevic and Djurdjina Jaukovic each scored six for Montenegro.
France finished second of the Golden League thanks to a 27:23 win in a close match against the Danes, turning a 13:13 half-time deficit around.
The next edition of the Golden League will be staged right before the EHF EURO 2020 start in Norway, when both EHF EURO hosts, France and Germany will duel.
2019 world champions and EHF EURO 2018 bronze medallists Netherland shared the spoils with their neighbours Germany.
After the 27:25 defeat on Thursday, the Dutch side struck back with a 32:26 (18:10) victory two days later. Key for the clear success was an outstanding 14:4 series in the first 20 minutes, Dione Housheer scored eight times for the Netherlands, Valcea’s left back Evgenija Minevskaja netted seven for Germany.
Another double-header between EHF EURO 2020 participants took placed in Sweden and the hosts won both test matches against Poland.
Two days after 21:19 win in Lund, the Bella Gullden led side came out on top 27:21 (14:12) in Ystad. Nathalie Hagman (7 goals) and Nina Dano (6) were Sweden’s top scorers.
A number of EHF EURO 2020 participants, such as 2018 silver medallists Russia, World Championship 2019 silver medallists Spain, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia stuck to training camps and no test matches during the international week, the first time the teams have come together this season.
