Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I (Kutaisi, Georgia)
HK Zelina completed a perfect five from five wins to guarantee gold and Croatia’s place in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy in 2027 thanks to a super final win over Copenhagen HC.
They were in more control than their dramatic group stage win over the same opponent which required a last second winner.
Nika Krkač put them in front in the third minute and extended the margin to 2-0 early in the second half via Lucija Buzjak. It was enough to see them the title. That goal earned Buzjak a share of the top scorer prize along with her captain Lucija Nizek.
KPH Rača produced their best performance of the competition to win 4-3 against Ukimerioni Kutaisi and take bronze with four first half goals powering their win.
In a frantic phase of Q1, Lenka Horáčková gave Rača the lead; Sude Nur Kurt equalised before Lia Leffers restored the Slovak club’s lead at 2-1.
Nilay Öztürk levelled it once more in Q2 but Lenka Kramplova and Dominika Chebenova saw Rača stretch out a 4-2 lead at half-time. Kurt pulled one back in Q3 but the Georgian hosts could not find a way to get back level in the remaining time and so they had to settle for fourth spot – nonetheless equaling their best finish at this level.
For Rača, it was their best performance since 2011.
Early in the day, Copenhagen confirmed their place in the final with a 5-1 win over KPH Rača. They overcame an early Karolína Vyskočová goal with Aurelia Czekay and Chiara Stichling swapping the lead before half-time – the former ended with a pair of goals while Stichling got a hat trick.
That left Ukimerioni Kutaisi needing a big win over HK Zelina to take a place in the final at the Croatians expense but it never looked likely to materialise. Lucija Buzjak gave Zelina a half-time lead and they pulled away in the second half to make it 3-0 through Nika Krkač and Lucija Nizek.
Best player: Lucija Nizek (HK Zelina)
Best goalkeeper: Daniela Sutovska (KPH Rača)
Top goalscorers: Lucija Buzjak, Lucija Nizek (both HK Zelina) – 7 goals
Final rankings
- HK Zelina (CRO)
- Copenhagen HC (DEN)
- KPH Rača (SVK)
- Ukimerioni Kutaisi (GEO)
- Trondheim LHK (NOR)
