At the Hummel Cup in Aue, SG Flensburg-Handewitt lost to SC DHfK Leipzig 42–44 (20–23). Tomorrow, Saturday, the team will play for third place at 1:30 p.m. Their opponent is expected to be the host team, EHV Aue, which faces SC Magdeburg in today’s second match.
The SG traveled to Aue with a 14-player roster. Blaž Blagotinšek, Kent Robin Tønnesen, and Luca Witzke were still absent. Simon Möller, with a saved penalty throw, and Simon Pytlick, with a nice spin shot, provided the first highlights, but the Leipzig team also played well. The team led by former SG player Franz Semper quickly took a 7–4 lead. The SG initially lacked stability on defense and had already conceded ten goals after eleven minutes. On the other hand, the offense was combining well. Domen Novak scored from the right wing to tie the game at 11–11. After about a quarter of an hour, the SG made substitutions in several positions. Aksel Horgen fought hard to win the ball and scored to make it 14–13, giving the northerners their first lead. But things weren’t really clicking. Although Simon Möller saved a second penalty throw, the SG trailed 20–23 at halftime. “Even considering that we have a new backcourt, that was far too many goals conceded,” said SG Managing Director Holger Glandorf. It was the third time they’d trailed at halftime in their third preseason game.
No Stability in Defense
On offense, Emil Bergholt opened the second half with two plays in the opponent’s circle. But Leipzig scored as well and soon led 28–24. It was a lively back-and-forth scoring spree that put the defensive lines to the test. Up front, the SG combined well. Niclas Kirkeløkke shot from the backcourt and narrowed the gap to 28–30. The SG chipped away at the deficit bit by bit. Arnar Freyr Arnarsson was sitting on the floor with the ball but still managed to pass it to Aymeric Minne, who drove through to make it 34–35. Time was running out for a comeback. Leipzig led 40–37 after 55 minutes. Despite the friendly nature of the match, the SG wanted to win and was now playing extremely aggressively on defense. Still, it wasn’t enough. “When you give up 44 goals, you’re in for a damn tough time,” Simon Pytlick summed up. “Things went well on offense, but in defense, our communication and attitude were completely off. We need to improve there—and that’s exactly what preseason is for.”
SG Flensburg-Handewitt: Burić (from the 31st minute), Möller (until the 30th minute) – Pytlick (10), Kirkeløkke (4), Bergholt (3), Grgić (4), Horgen (2), Volz, Jakobsen (4/3), Arnarsson (2), Minne (6), Novak (4), Møller (2), Buschmann (1)