Cascada-HC Garliava SM Wins All Matches at Home, HIFK Outperforms Latvian Teams

December 3, 2024

The Women’s Baltic Sea Handball League tour held in Garliava was highly successful for the home team. Cascada-HC Garliava SM won all three matches and faced real resistance only in their final game against the Finnish team HIFK. But let’s take it from the beginning.

The tour kicked off on Friday with a match between REIR/Dobele SS and HIFK, where the Finnish team proved their superiority with a score of 32:25 (15:9). Ella Holopainen was named the best player for the winning team, while Krista Kacina stood out for the Latvian side. Later that day, another Latvian team, SK Latgols from Ludza, took on the Cascada-HC Garliava SM team from Kaunas district. While they put up a fight in the first half, the home team demonstrated their full strength in the second, winning with a decisive score of 42:26 (18:13). The best players of this match were Madara Cibulska for the Latvians and Ana Andronik for the home team.

On the second day, the Lithuanian and Finnish teams swapped opponents and again emerged victorious in their respective matches. Cascada-HC Garliava SM defeated REIR/Dobele SS with a score of 38:21 (18:11), while HIFK overcame SK Latgols 30:20 (17:8). The standout players of Saturday’s games included Sabīne Zatlere (SK Latgols), Ronja Willgren (HIFK), Ieva Reinfelde (REIR/Dobele SS), and Singrida Kulikovaitė (Cascada-HC Garliava SM).

After two consecutive defeats, the Latvian teams returned home, leaving Cascada-HC Garliava SM and HIFK to battle it out on Sunday for the title of the tour’s best team. The game’s outcome was essentially decided in the first half, which the Kaunas district team won 16:7. While the Lithuanian side may have relaxed a bit in the second half and the Finnish team intensified their efforts, it wasn’t enough. The victory remained in Garliava with a final score of 24:21. The best players of this game were Roosa Niemi for HIFK and Saulė Česnulevičiūtė for Cascada-HC Garliava SM.

Following the long weekend of the Baltic Sea Women’s Handball League, Cascada-HC Garliava SM club manager Laimis Dambrauskas expressed his satisfaction with hosting the event: “We are delighted to be one of the two teams representing Lithuania in the Women’s Baltic Sea Handball League, and even more so to give our handball fans the chance to experience it live,” said Dambrauskas.

“While the level of play could have been slightly better since the strongest Latvian teams participated, the experience gained is invaluable. Such tours are crucial for players to improve and test their strength, as playing against different calibers of teams for three consecutive days is no easy task. Our players showed not only determination and physical readiness but also strong character, and we are incredibly proud of them.”

The Baltic Sea Women’s Handball League tour in Garliava wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Kaunas district municipality, the local sports school, and sponsors such as Cascada, which awarded prizes to the best players of each match. “We are immensely grateful to our partners, sponsors, and the visiting teams. We hope the weekend tour went smoothly, as the smiles and gratitude from the guest teams suggest everything went well,” added Dambrauskas.

After two major tours in Lithuania and Estonia, the standings are led by the two Lithuanian teams—Cascada-HC Garliava SM and Vilniaus “Eglė”—both with three wins each. The next major tournament in the Women’s Baltic Sea Handball League is set to take place at the end of March in Finland, hosted at Kauniaisten Palloiluhalli.

Photo credits: Evaldas Šemiotas/Lietuvos rankinio federacijos