Strong performance by Erlangen has runners-up on the verge of defeat

HC Erlangen succumbed to Rhine-Neckar Lions on the 12th matchday of the DKB German Handball League. Up to the 53rd minute, the club from Franconia was in with a chance of pulling off a shock, led for most of the game and caused problems for one of Europe’s top teams over the 60 minutes. It was not until the final five minutes that the club from Mannheim turned around a fiercely contest encounter to run out winners by 29:26.

HC Erlangen got off to an incredibly strong start, with Steinert putting his team 3:5 in front in the fifth minute. Büdel then made it 4:6 shortly afterwards and, after stealing possession in defense, Bissel stretched the gap to 6:10 on a fast break. The HC was very compact in defense and managed to almost completely eliminate the world-class axis between Schmid and Kohlbacher. After Steinert scored from the backcourt to make it 8:11, Jacobsen was forced to call a timeout. That bore fruit and last season’s runners-up now got better into the game. One of the reasons for that was that the Lions reorganized their defense and so repeatedly managed to put HC Erlangen under pressure. The home side clawed its way back by half-time and went 14:13 ahead.

After the break, the HC played very variably in attack and now was able to find gaps in the Lions’ defense more often again. Led by Christoph Steinert, who finished up with nine goals, the club from Franconia continued to play uncompromisingly in offense and repeatedly scored from the backcourt. The central block with Overby and co-captain Nikolai Link posed great difficulties for the Lions, with the result that HC Erlangen kept on winning possession. Erlangen seized its scoring opportunities clinically and pulled three goals ahead through a goal by Sellin (20:23 in the 47th minute). The Rhine-Neckar Lions then played at their customary fast pace in crunch time. An open game ensued in which the HC had its nose ahead up to the 54th minute. However, the first-division club from Franconia suffered a period when it was short-handed and so was unable to break down the opposing side. The Lions added three goals in a row and went 28:25 ahead with three minutes remaining. The HC did not give up and Büdel reduced the deficit to 28:26 shortly before the final buzzer. However, the HC finally went down by 29:26.

Source: www.hc-erlangen.de