Pölva Serviti Was the Only Away Winner in the First Quarter-Final Matches

March 20, 2023

Pölva Serviti Was the Only Away Winner in the First Quarter-Final Matches

The play-offs have started in the Baltic Handball League. The first quarter-final matches were played on 18–19 March, and on 25 March to determine the final four teams.

Last season’s BHL finalist Pölva Serviti played Granitas-Karys Kaunas away. It was one of the most hard-fought matches of the quarter-finals. Neither team was able to gain the lead for most of the game. Pölva Serviti won the period 4:0 at the very end of the game and celebrated a 26:22 victory.

Granitas-Karys Kaunas – Pölva Serviti 22:26 (10:11)
Granitas-Karys – Štarolis 6, Jurkevičius 5, Lazauskas 4, Grigas 4.
Pölva Serviti– Timmo 6, Uibo 6, Rooba 4, Varul 4, Chezlov 3.

Kalmer Musting (coach, Pölva Serviti):
I am satisfied with the result. The players showed character. Things did not go so well in attack, we did not make the most of our opportunities. But we defended very well. The players played with dedication and aggressiveness, giving their all on the court. We were expecting such a tough match. It is the quarter-finals and every team wants to win on their home court. It was a very even fight and we managed to gain a four-goal lead only at the very end of the game, before the second game at home.

Vaidotas Grosas (coach, Granitas-Karys):
I liked the team’s attitude for the match. No one had to be urged, everyone fought with all their might and it was a tough fight. We could have won, but the end of the match was unsuccessful. We have shown that we can fight with our title rivals as equals. Given that we have not used up all our reserves, we will be looking for a win in the second leg. We managed to surprise with a good game at home, maybe we can do it again in the rematch away. I am satisfied with our play for most of the match. Unfortunately, we played poorly in the last five minutes and allowed our opponents to take the lead.

Paulius Zėringis (player, Granitas-Karys):
The whole team fought hard and strived for victory. It is a pity that we did not fulfil some agreements at the end of the match. We allowed our opponents to break away. But we are in a fighting mood and we will go to fight for victory in a week’s time.

The second leg of the quarter-final will be played on March 25 in Polva.

There are two matches in the quarter-final round. Each pair will face off against each other at home and away, with the winners of both pairs advancing to the final four based on the aggregate score of the two matches.