The SG Flensburg-Handewitt has ended the season in style. After winning 27-25 (14-12) at HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, the SG finished in second place in the Bundesliga and had the third-most points of its Bundesliga history, four points clear of Füchse Berlin. "This great season is only just over," SG coach Ljubomir Vranjes said. "Yet I'm already looking forward to the next one."
The trip to Balingen was not an easy one. Even though Mattias Andersson made a first save against Benjamin Herth and Michael Knudsen made it 1-0, the SG could not build on that lead. "It was a good fight today," Vranjes said. "Balingen tried everything and they didn't want to lose this game." The home team could only get a 9-7 lead though.
When Vranjes took his timeout, his team played better against the offensive defence formation. Thomas Mogensen and Jacob Heinl scored two quick goals to make it 11-10 yet once again, it was only a short-lived lead. Just before the break, the home team had some chances and it was Andersson who kept his team in the game, saving no less than four penalty attempts.
After the interval, Vranjes brought on Sören Rasmussen who saved two more penalty attempts in the second half. "I think we broke a record today," Balingen's coach Rolf Brack said afterwards. The SG continued to fight but remained two goals behind until the score was 22-20 after 45 minutes.
In the final minutes, the visitors were able to change the course of the game. Anders Eggert scored on two penalties to give his team a 23-22 lead and this time the SG was able to hang on to it.
HBW Balingen-Weilstetten – SG Flensburg-Handewitt 25-27 (14-12)
HBW Balingen-Weilstetten: Ziemer (31.-57.), Puhle – Slundt, Herth (3), Sauer (1), Keinath (1), Wilke (6), Ettwein, Wessig (4), Häfner (1), Bürkle (2), Alvanos (1), Ilitsch (3/1), Gutbrodt (3)
SG Flensburg-Handewitt: Andersson, Rasmussen (from 31.) – Karlsson, Eggert (5/4), Mogensen (4), Svan Hansen (1), Djordjic, Mocsai (5), Heinl (2), Szilagyi (5), Kaufmann (1), Knudsen (4)
Referees: Harms/Mahlich (Biederitz/Stendal); Suspensions: 6:8 Minutes (Gutbrodt 4, Häfner 2 – Eggert 2, Svan Hansen 2, Mocsai 2, Knudsen 2); Penalty throws: 7/1:5/4 (Andersson saves against Wilke twice as well as against Sauer and Herth, Rasmussen saves against Keinath and Ilitsch – Ziemer saves against Eggert); Attendance: 2320
Timeline: 0:1 (2.), 2:1 (3.), 4:3 (6.), 5:5 (8.), 7:6 (10.), 9:7 (13.), 9:9 (14.), 10:11 (20.), 13:11 (27.), 13:12 (30.) – 15:12 (31.), 16:13 (33.), 16:16 (36.), 18:16 (40.), 19:17 (41.), 19:19 (43.), 21:19 (44.), 22:20 (45.), 22:23 (51.), 24:24 (54.), 25:25 (57.)
