THC went back in the lead for the first time since the 1-0 when Reichert made it 25-24 Defensive lapses of concentration and lack of saves from the keepers was clinically punished by the ruthless Germans and a superp performance from German keeper Eckerle denied Ikast their final chance to keep their title hopes alive as THC closed the match 34-32 in a dramatic finish to the match Jamina Roberts began the European season with Vipers Kristiansand in the EHF Champions League Women but the 34-year-old will end it with Ikast Håndbold at the EHF Finals Women 2025 in Graz Watching the most capped player in Sweden's history play live one can say that her strong character echoes through her unique style of play Roberts plays with a different kind of temper passion and even anger in comparison to most other players as the Swede agrees: “I play better when I'm angry and I have to be a little bit angry to perform well and I think that's the thing that makes me good.” The former EHF Champions League winner from 2022/23 with Vipers Kristiansand admits that the current season has been atypical and even turbulent “It's been strange and I think maybe it has affected me more than I first thought,” she says “I had a really good time at Vipers Kristiansand and I believe that I have found a good and stable club now Definitely a tough year also with the Paris 2024 Olympics with all the championships and in the middle of this You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences After scoring 34 goals in the EHF's top-tier club competition during the first half of the season the Swede had to find a new club in January due to Vipers declaring bankruptcy it's not really motivating to be in that situation old and I thought: 'Should I just take a break and go again next season?' it felt right and it was also a good solution for us as a family,” explains Roberts It is fair to say the experienced left back fitted like a hand in a glove into Søren Hansen's squad She has already scored 27 goals for the Danish club in the EHF European League and is averaging five goals per match in the competition it was not a surprise to see Ikast offer Roberts a new deal and now she will stay in Denmark at least until 2027 “I think it's been going pretty fast and pretty good We haven't had so many players over these last few months I had to play a lot and that helped me and the adaptation went quicker in one way and it's been good,” says Roberts The expectations have been high for the Swede considering her impressive career but she has lived up to the hype and immediately became a key player When asked about how she has coped with the pressure and expectations throughout her career she reveals: “I have my own expectations and then I put enough pressure on myself and I think that's enough That motivates me to also play good because I just hate to be bad but I really don't think it's fun to play when I play bad.” The EHF European League 2022/23 winners were earmarked as the favourites in the EHF's second-tier club competition ahead of the start of the group phase this season and the Danish club thrived in probably the most difficult group B Roberts has never played in the competition before “I haven't played in the EHF European League before actually as when I played in the Women's EHF Cup I think we have a good chance and it's the goal of the club to be on top of this tournament It would be really nice to win the trophy,” adds Roberts Ikast secured a place at the EHF Finals 2025 in Graz after a hard-fought battle with H.C Dunarea Braila in the quarter-finals where Hansen’s squad displayed an impressive performance in Romania but Roberts is confident that the best is yet to come but due to the circumstances that was our best game We were only three back players of which one had a broken nose but it was still just enough to advance to the EHF Finals thanks to their 61:60 aggregate win The draw decided that Ikast would be paired with HSG Blomberg-Lippe in the semi-finals in Graz Roberts accepts the role of favourites ahead of the match although she admits that the German club will pose a tricky challenge I don't think it's because of the experience from before because it's another squad now but I think there's a lot of players there that I haven't met before and that's always a little bit tricky “It can be hard because you have to really have a good set of tactics to go through all the new systems that you haven't seen before But I think that we should win and if you see us as our favourites Roberts is one of a number of current Ikast players who were not part of the 2022/23 winning squad and as the flamboyant left back is a born winner she would like to add to her trophy cabinet "I would like to win it now as I haven't won that trophy and it would be nice and this kind of experience ignites some kind of inner motivation within me," says Roberts Despite all the accolades won both on an individual and team level Roberts is still hungry for success as she dreams of winning more medals with Sweden and of playing in the EHF FINAL4 Women again "My goal would be to win something with the national team although I think the gold medals may be quite a bit far away but to receive a medal with the national team’s squad that we are now “And I'm also envious of playing in one big final in the EHF Champions League as well It was a really good memory I have when we were there with Vipers Kristiansand and it would be a dream to go there again,” finishes Roberts SUMMARY: Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC celebrated semi-final wins in Graz as they get ready for the final on Sunday FLASH QUOTES: Comments from players and coaches after the EHF Finals Women 2025 semi-finals SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: The 2023 champions are back in the final of the EHF Finals Women in Graz SUMMARY: Thüringer HC are crowned in Graz as the new EHF European League Women champions following an intense final against Ikast Håndbold FLASH QUOTES: Comments from players and coaches after the EHF Finals Women 2025 final and third place match FINAL REVIEW: THC come from behind to beat Ikast 34:32 at the EHF Finals in Graz FINAL PREVIEW: Ikast Håndbold meet Thüringer HC in final; Blomberg and Dijon play for third place SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW: Blomberg and Ikast open EHF Finals Women before THC take on Dijon FEATURE: Thüringer HC left back becomes MVP and top scorer of EHF Finals Women after netting 29 times in Graz You currently use an outdated internet browser. You can upgrade to a modern browser or use the Google Chrome Frame to optimize your viewing experience PowerGo has completed the installation of all 152 charging points in the Danish municipality of Ikast-Brande The charging points offer a capacity ranging from 22 to 150 kilowatts (kW) and are all publicly accessible The municipality of Ikast-Brande has selected PowerGo as Charge Point Operator (CPO) based on a tender Ikast-Brande is now part of PowerGo’s expanding charging network in Denmark providing residents with more opportunities to charge their electric vehicle (EV) The charging solutions are tailor-made to meet the needs of EV drivers PowerGo installed a total of eight ultra-fast charging points of 150 kW All charging points are located in public spaces The largest location is along highway N185 EV drivers have access to 16 charging points including eight ultra-fast charging points of 150 kW and eight chargers of 22 kW the fast chargers of 50 kW are installed at a large and central parking lot Through dynamic pricing, EV drivers have access to fair and transparent charging prices based on the hourly electricity price. The current charging prices can be found in the free PowerGo Charge app. All charging stations in Ikast-Brande offer the certainty of green energy. PowerGo works with 100 percent solar energy, generated from solar parks operated by its parent company PowerField “Together with the municipality of Ikast-Brande we have successfully committed to the rollout of charging infrastructure over the past two years We want to create a comprehensive charging network that is accessible The presence of our charging points in public locations throughout Ikast-Brande strengthens the transition to electric driving within the municipality.”Frederikke FogTender Manager PowerGo PowerGo stands for fast we make the switch to sustainable mobility accessible to everyone That is why PowerGo is building a rapidly expanding international (fast) charging network every day a Dutch organization specialized in the generation and storage of solar energy PowerGo's charging points are powered with renewable energy from solar parks PowerField and PowerGo offer the full solution: generation PowerGo has rolled out many large-scale and successful projects for partners as Jumbo KFC and various governments in seven European countries The champions of the EHF European League Women 2024/25 will be crowned at the EHF Finals in Graz on Sunday (4 May) seven months after the competition started with the first qualification round Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC have made it all the way to the final and will battle it out for the title at 18:00 CEST three hours after HSG Blomberg-Lippe and JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball contest the third-place match In each of the first four seasons since its instalment in 2020/21 the EHF European League Women was won by a club from a different country as both Denmark (Ikast in 2023) and Germany (SG BBM Bietigheim Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs Thüringer HC (GER)Sunday 4 May, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA)Sunday 4 May, 15:00 CEST, live on EHFTV THIRD-PLACE MATCH REVIEW: The French side beat their opponents from Germany at the EHF Finals Women SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: The German side beat Dijon 35:29 in the second semi-final of the EHF Finals Women Dutch charge point operator PowerGo has completed the installation of all 152 charging points for electric vehicles in the Danish municipality of Ikast-Brande and 138 AC charging points with 22 kW are available to the public All charging points are located in public places such as schools the charging solutions are “tailor-made to meet the needs of EV drivers.” A total of 16 charging points have been installed here including all eight in the 150 kW power class – according to the press photos the HYC150 hypercharger from Alpitronic is used the 50 kW chargers have been installed in a large central car park All charging points are powered by electricity from renewable sources – but not at a fixed price PowerGo relies on dynamic pricing in Ikast-Brande: the current charging prices are based on the hourly electricity price and can be found in the ‘PowerGo Charge’ app The municipality of Ikast-Brande put the construction of the charging points out to tender with the Dutch provider emerging as the winner “Together with the municipality of Ikast-Brande we have successfully committed to the rollout of charging infrastructure over the past two years,” says Frederikke Fog “We want to create a comprehensive charging network that is accessible The presence of our charging points in public locations throughout Ikast-Brande strengthens the transition to electric driving within the municipality.” PowerGo has won several tenders in Denmark (partly together with Spirii), the first in November 2022. PowerGo opened its largest HPC site in Europe to date in September 2024 The fast-charging park at Lillebælt on the Danish E20 motorway comprises seven 400 kW charging stations with two charging points each powergo.energy I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology England's U17 NEVZA squads are gearing up for the upcoming tournament in Ikast which is set to begin on Monday (14th October).  Both the boys' and girls' teams will depart for Denmark on Sunday ahead of the opening day of the competition The tournament will take place at Sportscenter Ikast finishing on 16th October before the teams return home a day later will open England’s campaign on Monday morning with a match against the Faroe Islands at 10am Both teams will play a second match later that day against either Denmark Red or Sweden with opponents determined by the outcomes of the first games England would make it into the playoff stages of the competition with the chance to automatically qualify for the semi-finals if they win both their matches in their pool.  particularly as to the strength of their opposition both teams have been preparing rigorously at pre-competition training camps “We’ve got ready with the help of a focused residential training camp hosted at RAF Cranwell and we have sharpened our skills with intense training and match practice,” said the U17 boys’ Assistant Coach David Roberts "We’re still in the early stages as a squad Our primary goals are to stand up in serve reception and stay aggressive taking control of the game whenever possible “We've only had one camp in September so building chemistry and executing these fundamentals will be key." One player that the coaching staff believe will be pivotal in this process for the boys is James Cox David added: “James has been on the programme for three years and brings leadership and a deep understanding of the coaching staff’s expectations “He also has the ability to deliver the quick offensive play that the team needs to stay competitive against our European neighbours the boys’ team’s focus is on their own performance and making the most of the opportunity “Managing nerves and fully embracing this experience is going to be huge for us,” added David it’s their first international event so controlling the controllables and staying composed is critical.” “We don’t know what the other teams will bring to the table but we’re focused on controlling what we can do Every competition presents an opportunity… let's see if we can take ours and aim for a medal.” U17 girls' Head Coach Steve McKeown says the team are looking forward to their matches in Denmark He said: “We have a young and inexperienced team but we are determined to be as competitive as possible “The team have had very limited opportunities to train and play together but they are very much up for the challenge All the players are looking forward to matching their skills against some of the top players at U17 level from Scandinavia "The tournament will be used as a launchpad for more international competition in the future.“ Futura Rydberg-Buccoliero (Leeds Gorse)   You can follow the two teams progress on the live stream by clicking here (Please note, a subscription and payment are required for access). Alan Bell will always be a man who loved volleyball and was determined to use the sport to bring the best out of young people in his local area.  Selection nominations are now open for England-qualified players for three Senior NEVZA Tournaments.  The latest achievements in relation to Volleyball England's strategic plan. NVL Divisional Winners and MVPs were recognised for their excellence during the 2024-25 season on Sunday at a presentation held on Sunday as part of Cup Finals Weekend.    Text description provided by the architects. C.F. Møller Architects is behind a major project next to the International School Ikast-Brande with a much-awaited expansion with several halls, multi-functional and educational facilities. The project makes the educational facilities at the school even better, and at the same time creates a new meeting point centred on an area of fast growth in Ikast. ’Hjertet’ (the Heart), as the project is called, includes a multi-purpose building, as well as an activity park, to create a new relation to the neighbouring Business College HHX Ikast, Ikast Brande upper secondary school, the teacher training college, and the International School Ikast-Brande, which was also designed by C.F. Møller. © Adam Mørk‘The Heart’ combines education, activities, community, exercise and recreational pursuits in new ways. The international pupils will thus be a natural part of a very wide-ranging group of users, including sportsmen and women, musicians, skaters and users in a social psychiatry project. Overall, 35 user groups were involved in the development of the building and park. © Adam Mørk"The aim of the Heart is to combine many different facilities and parallel activities, and to use all of the rooms, all the time, all day long, so that the building is always used actively from early morning to late evening - expressed in an architecture that resembles a small town, with varying roof heights and a square which gathers, leads and distributes the users," says Julian Weyer, architect and partner at C.F. Møller Architects. © Adam MørkOn the first floor of the multi-building there are various large and small rooms for relaxed movement activities such as dance and yoga, as well as cultural events and performance culture, and counselling services for young people in the municipal Youth and Education Advisory Centre. © Adam MørkThe surrounding activities landscape is designed around sustainable drainage principles and includes very active pursuits such as a skate bowl and flowskate parc, a cycle pump-track, parkour facilities and playgrounds, beach volley pits and a multi-use playing field; as well as more quiet and shared activities such as spots for petanque, picnics and campfires. © Adam MørkFor every walk of life"The Heart" is a very open and accessible building, which also draws attention through its use of many small, informal venues and seating areas, to reinforce the multi-building's capacity as a social gathering point that is not just a place to spend active leisure time. © Adam MørkIn its essence the project is a showcase in how broadly different user groups of leisure facilities can be combined. Ground floor plan / TextThe Heart will give a great boost to leisure time activities, local socioeconomics and teaching opportunities for the school. This also creates a strong contact between the many different users where the young people for instance can obtain advice on important life choices to pursue active and social lives. In this way the Heart connects every walk of life to make it easier to make the next step for each individual. © Adam MørkA number of local and national collaboration partners have joined the field to ensure the project in Ikast-Brande Municipality comes to fruition including local businesses such as Bestseller and major Danish foundations Realdania and the Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities The Carlsberg Foundation has contributed integrated artworks for both the building and the site You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email In their third participation in the EHF Finals Women – after two losses in the semi-final in the first two editions – Ikast Håndbold finally broke their duck and secured their maiden title in the EHF European League Women after the format has been changed It is their third in the history of the second-tier European competition riding a 10-game winning streak on their way to the trophy and celebrating an excellent achievement in the Raiffeisen Sportpark in Graz just as they played their 30th game in history in the EHF European League Women The Danish side started the weekend with a superb win over German side Thüringer HC in the semi-finals of the EHF Finals Women taking a clear 31:26 win after they led at half-time by a seven-goal margin (17:10) as coach Kasper Christensen helped his players save some energy With a 43% saving efficiency from goalkeeper Jessica Ryde and eight goals from Ingvild Kristensen Bakkerud Ikast rose to the occasion and left nothing to chance after losing their semi-final in the previous two editions of the competition They faced a nervous wait with seeing who their opponents were going to be in the final as Nykøbing Falster Håndbold and BV Borussia 09 Dortmund delivered an epic match in the second semi-final with plenty of twists and turns until revealing the second finalist as NFH powered to the last act after Mia Solberg Svele scored 10 goals to help her side take a 35:33 win after four periods of extra-time with the scored tied at 29:29 after the regular 60 minutes But it was always going to be a tough proposition for NFH to win their maiden European trophy especially as tired legs were going to matter in the back-to-back format of the EHF Finals Women Nykøbing Falster Håndbold were in command (15:14) before Ikast really took the game to them and proved to be the best team in the competition this season Led by an outstanding Emma Cecilie Uhrskov Friis the left wing who won the bronze medal with Denmark at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship Ikast bounced back and had little trouble taking control of the game which ended in a clear 31:24 win for Ikast “We’re really glad about the performance in the second half especially also at the end of the first half We know it’s two teams that know each other really well We’ve played a lot of matches in the Danish league and the way Falster played against us in the first half it’s the best I remember in the last seasons they’ve played but I’m glad and also really happy about the way my players turned the match around,” said Ikast’s coach Friis scored 11 goals and was named the MVP of the EHF Finals Women as Ikast tied fellow Danish side Viborg HK as the only team in history with three titles in the second-tier European competition after their previous titles secured in 2002 and 2011 Teams from Denmark have also won 10 titles in total being the country with the highest number of wins which saw the Danish side qualify for the semi-finals five times Ikast have dominated the competition this season and winning games by an average margin of 7.2 goals per game this season BV Borussia 09 Dortmund took a 28:23 win over Thüringer HC which still delivered the top goal scorer of the competition with 68 goals over the 10 games played in the competition proper Photo: European Handball Federation  / Kolektiff Images By continuing to browse ihf.info, you agree to our terms of use , privacy policy and the use of cookies. For more information, please review our cookie policy. The Scandinavian firm C.F. Møller has completed new facilities for the International School Ikast-Brande in Ikast, a Danish town in the Central Jutland Region. Surrounded by outdoor sports areas, ‘The Heart’ is a building formed by a series of blocks clad in wood and glass, with slanting roofs that interlink. A multipurpose central core is surrounded by spaces of different sizes, all highly flexible use-wise. The objective is to generate an active hub of social interaction for the community. Sorry, there arent any match using your search terms, please try again using other terms. Text description provided by the architects. The international school in Ikast-Brande (ISIB) has inaugurated a new 2,600 m2 building, which includes a school, after-school and kindergarten. C.F. Møller has designed the complex like a small town with individual volumes located around a square and winding streets. The international school, which only teaches in English, is so popular that it has now been expanded with new facilities. 130 students are ready for the new school year at the International School, which with the new building can accommodate up to 200 students. © Martin SchubertInside the two-storey building of light brickwork, there are omnipresent views to the green landscape and a pleasant natural light influx, creating a bright and friendly environment for the children and staff. The window openings are placed in a pixelated and lively pat-tern that allows natural light deep into the rooms - and opens the views for big and small alike. © Martin SchubertCentrally located in the school complex is a long superstructure with a curved form. The superstructure contains ventilation systems and skylights, and is clad in translucent fa-cade panels and double-glazed windows, respectively. The curved form is continued in the sinuous balconies framing the central “square”, which acts as a multi-purpose space for drama, music, dining and lectures as well as the main social space of the school. © Martin SchubertThe new school is located as an addition to an existing educational complex The sur-rounding park-like landscape is partially designed as shady woodlands with embedded playgrounds and playing fields and a smaller screened area for the kindergarten Thüringer HC made history on Sunday evening in Graz securing their maiden European trophy in their history with a 34:32 win against Ikast Håndbold in the final of the EHF European League Women where Herbert Müller has been coaching since 2010 had previously lost the EHF Challenge Cup Women and finished fourth in the EHF European League Women in the 2022/23 season but now had an absolutely fantastic performance to lift the trophy but eliminated another Romanian side in the quarter-finals Four teams lined up at the start of the business end of the competition with two German sides - Thüringer HC and HSG Blomberg-Lippe – and one team from Denmark – Ikast – and France – JDA Bourgogne Dijon – each which were the favourites to secure the trophy the top scorer of the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship who was back after a lengthy lay-off due to an injury Thüringer HC had an outstanding attacking display against Dijon with a monster 16-goal performance from Austrian back Johanna Reichert who was also the top scorer of the competition a final between Ikast – a three-time winner of the competition in 2002 2011 and 2023 – and Thüringer was on the cards But Thüringer HC looked like no pushovers and it was once again Reichert taking control of the match as she finished the season again in double digits after in the quarter-finals against Vâlcea she scored 15 and 11 goals respectively As goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle put in a clinical performance Thüringer HC came back and delivered a 34:32 win the first player to hit triple digits in a single season in the EHF European League Women having eight matches from 10 played in double digits This is the second time in history when a German side wins the second-tier European competition after SG BBM Bietigheim – currently named HB Ludwigsburg – won the trophy in the 2021/22 season By continuing to browse ihf.info, you agree to our terms of use , privacy policy and the use of cookies. For more information, please review our cookie policy The former EHF European League Women's winners from 2023 Ikast Håndbold needed a second half comeback to secure a win against the inspired Sola HK in Denmark while SCM Ramnicu Valcea snatched a last-gasp draw against BV Borussia Dortmund in Germany to share the points Dunarea Braila defeated the reigning EHF European Cup Women's winners - ATTICGO Bm Elche to join Thüringer HC on two points in group A while HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames returned with a decent win against Fredrikstad Ballklubb from Norway Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs Sola HK (NOR) 35:34 (14:15) Last season's quarter-finalists started the blockbuster match on the front foot and Sola HK dictated the tempo of the game throughout the opening half with Martha Barka scoring in the 16th minute to give the Norwegian club a three-goal lead (7:10) it was evident that Ikast Håndbold were determined to stop the visitors' lethal counter-attacks in the second half and thus try to mount a comeback with a single goal (14:15) separating the clubs at the break The former EHF European League's winners from 2023 successfully turned the match around Sola HK didn't let them catch a breath until the final whistle with Ikast Håndbold celebrating just a one-goal win on wings of Simone Cathrine Petersen and her seven goals GROUP AH.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU) vs ATTICGO Bm Elche (ESP) 33:15 (13:7) GROUP DFredrikstad Ballklubb (NOR) vs HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) 28:39 (16:20) GROUP BBV Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) 31:31 (14:16) ROUND PREVIEW: The EHF European League Women 2024/25 group phase is set for throw-off this weekend with highlight matches in Denmark and Ge… Thüringer HC and HSG Blomberg-Lippe booked the final tickets for the EHF Finals Women in Graz after the former suffered a slim loss to SCM Ramnicu Valcea in Romania but still won the tie while the latter were superior to Super Amara Bera Bera by a single goal via the penalty shootout route in Germany With the list of participants (JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball HSG Blomberg-Lippe) for the EHF Finals Women now complete the draw for the final tournament will take place on Tuesday (1 April) at 15:00 CEST in Vienna SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs Thüringer HC (GER) 32:30 (16:14) Even though the hosts trailed by six goals in the tie Thüringer HC enjoyed a much better start to the match as Herbert Müller's squad took a three-goal lead (10:13) in the 21st minute Ioana Kelemen and Nathalie Hagman inspired an instant comeback ahead of the break as the goalkeeper made seven saves while the lethal right wing scored 10 goals in the first half With the Romanian club riding high on confidence after half-time Hagman continued her goalscoring exploits and extended Valcea's lead up to seven (27:20) in the 47th minute with the stands erupting in jubilation and Dinah Eckerle was the difference maker in the decisive minutes with the excellent shot stopper making a few crucial saves in the final minutes to let her teammates narrow down the difference on the other side celebrated the progress to the EHF Finals with tears in their eyes despite the minimal loss in Romania HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) 24:26 (19:22) (11:10) With the German club being in pole position to secure a place in the EHF Finals the pressure was on Super Amara Bera Bera to deliver in Lemgo and the Spanish club truly delivered Even though HSG Blomberg-Lippe established control over the match's result in the early stages of the first half Imanol Alvarez Arruti's squad were right behind the hosts at the break with only one goal separating the sides the passionate visitors led by Esther Arrojeria Arantzazistroke successfully mounted a comeback with the pacey playmaker pulling all the strings in offense Super Amara Bera Bera took a three-goal lead (16:19) in the 50th minute and the sides scored goal after goal until the final whistle with the tie's outcome remaining in the balance when Marie Louis sent the match to the penalty shootout Zoe Ludwig was the hero for HSG Blomberg-Lippe as the goalkeeper saved Carmen Arroyo Pimienta's final penalty letting Ona Vegue I Pena to finish the job and book a ticket in the EHF Finals leaving Super Amara Bera Bera's players devastated but ones who should be proud of themselves for their efforts Danish line player Sarah Iversen has had a long and successful career her trophy cabinet is still missing something; a European club title Ikast Håndbold have qualified for the EHF Finals in both previous editions of the EHF European League Women finishing fourth in 2021 and third last year but we don’t know the two German teams [BVB Borussia 09 Dortmund and Thüringer HC] well I haven't followed what they've been doing at all and I don't really know what they're coming up with either,” says Iversen I think we're in a good place and have been quite convincing so far we can at least get through to the final and then we'll see what happens there,” she adds “I would like to play the EHF Champions League again you have to get as far as possible in the next best tournament And I want to say that winning an EHF title is exactly what I lack in the medal cupboard I'm missing that on my CV," says the experienced line player When Iversen says she knows Nykøbing Falster Håndbold she is not exaggerating; she began her career at the club before moving to Odense in 2012; after returning to Nykøbing four years later Iversen got to play the EHF Champions League with them in 2017/18 She has now been at Ikast since 2018 and the club has supported her through her pregnancy and birth of her son Elliott in January 2021 Despite suffering several injuries earlier in her career Iversen says giving birth and returning to handball afterwards was “completely fantastic” and at the same time one of the hardest things she has been through "It was very much about the mental and psychological It was in such a way that you didn't quite know where you stood or what to expect When you have to come back from a cruciate ligament injury It wasn't really the case after the birth,” says Iversen After around five months of rehabilitation Iversen could finally glimpse a comeback on the handball court "I was back when we played the Danish Cup final in Odense in June 2021 I remember how the whole arena went crazy when I entered as almost the whole of handball Denmark had followed my fight to get back to the handball court I finally felt a sense of redemption that I could return to the handball court,” she remembers But that was not the end of the comeback process but I was not in really good running shape or in good enough physical condition to be able to participate properly or make a difference During the summer I went all in to come back strong and good when everyone else was going on holiday I started my pre-season,” Iversen adds as it was hard training that was on the programme I was still not 100 per cent ready after the summer break but I was able to participate in all the training sessions just in a little worse shape than everyone else But I moved an insane amount that summer," says Iversen and Iversen has found a way to balance being a mother with being a professional handball player and it requires a whole lot of other things than you have been used to I thought it could be hard if you didn't sleep properly after a match and that you then had to get up and have a training session Then you could be a little tired and stuff like that I have now gained a completely new perspective “It really requires a lot in a different way to be a mother - and not least a completely different structure it has also given me the world's greatest respite I can also enjoy it in a different way when I'm away There is not one workout that is taken for granted in any way and also where you allow yourself to think about something else – and that has really given me a lot," Iversen says Now her attention, and that of her teammates, turns to Graz and Ikast’s semi-final against Thüringer HC on Saturday 13 May at 15:30 CEST A win would see the Danish side just one step away from lifting their first European League trophy and give Iversen hopes that she will fill that gap in her CV Don't miss the chance to learn a lot of behind-the-scenes information on the EHF Finals Women 2023 when the regular Spin show on the Home of Handball Twitch features Ikast's goalkeeper Jessica Ryde on Monday 8 May at 18:00 CEST FEATURE: Ikast Håndbold's new signing shares her excitement and ambitions ahead of the EHF Finals Women 2025 in Graz The weekend was reserved for the Round 2 of the Group Phase of the EHF Champions League Women follow us to stay on track with all the latest news Today's win over Esbjerg means Krim are having their best season opening in ten years here is what Tamara Mavsar had to say following the win in front of their fans:  ''Today's atmosphere looked a lot like the atmosphere we've had here in Stozice during the 2022 Women's EC I can only add that I hope the fans will be there to support us moving forward as well Regarding our today's display - I hope we'll keep on playing like this We've managed to slow their offensive transition down which proved to be one of the keys to our victory here today We were focused on ourselves playing exactly the way we agreed to from the very first until the very last minute!'' let's have one last look on all the results from this weekend 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒: 𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 2 has produced some epic matches and interesting scorelines! 🔥Best team performance of the Round _____________? 👈#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/CGduMjt22j A weekend full of excitement is now behind us Brest celebrated in Sweden against Sävehof in the MOTW and Vipers defeated FTC in the rematch of last season's EHF CLW final Györ and Odense secured convincing wins against DVSC and Buducnost while Rapid had to work extra hard for both points against Lublin and Ikast secured another win - this time over Metz our daily review has absolutely everything you need to know about the matches we've seen today DAY REVIEW: Ikast's dream start continues with second win in a row The last game of the round is now behind us After defeating the reigning EHF CLW champions Vipers Kristiansand in the opening round Ikast proved that it was far from a coincidence with an amazing display and a win over Metz in France Emma Friis led them in this one with nine goals from just as much attempts Kristina Jörgensen finished the game with seven goals Irma Schjött keeps the gap wide open with this save 𝑪𝑹𝑼𝑪𝑰𝑨𝑳 save by Irma Schjött! 💪#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/DlHESNp0Qb Metz is going to need more saves like this one in order to level the game again 𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑰𝑬𝑫 ❌☝️#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise | @MetzHandball pic.twitter.com/IzXoz8RooO Under ten minutes into the second half and the result is levelled - 26:26 A high-scoring game so far in France in which neither team is really focusing on the defensive aspect of the game but the transition which is functioning really well on both sides An exciting second half is surely ahead of us Fast-paced handball helps Ikast widen the gap in France Fast as lightning ⚡⚡#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/FCukSBw8DR An absolutely beautiful move in the transition for Metz 1-2 cha-cha-cha 💃#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/Fsztpiay59 A perfect way to end another exciting EHF CLW handball weekend The match is as narrow as it can be - with ten minutes left until the half-time buzzer the teams are levelled at 13:13 Kristina Jörgensen is shining with six for Metz while Emma Friis has three when it comes to Ikast Three goals already for Kristina Jörgensen We are NOT done yet! ☝️Metz Handball vs Ikast Handbold now LIVE on EHFTV! 🔥#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/by5QxAiTWB teams are taking the court with just over five minutes left until the opening buzzer Will Metz make it 2/2 after defeating FTC on the road in the first round or will Ikast find a way to defeat the French team same way they surprised reigning EHF CLW champions in Round 1 First two games of the day are now behind us and here are some of the best photos from Ljubljana and Ludwigsburg A five-goal win for Krim against Esbjerg in Ljubljana Tamara Mavsar played an important role for her team finishing the game with five goals while Jovanka Radicevic added just as much In Germany seven goals for Xenia Smits and incredible 18 saves for Gabriela Goncalves Dias Moreschi but that wasn't enough and CSM returns to Bucharest empty-handed Both Krim and Bietigheim seem to be running away with the lead in these moments and +5 for Bietigheim with just over 10 minutes left Can Esbjerg or CSM make a late push and steal some points on the road Picture-perfect playmaking! 🧠👏#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise | @csm_bucharest pic.twitter.com/FJVupVMI91 and a four-goal lead for Bietigheim at the moment (19:15) Just under 20 minutes to go until the final buzzer Simply spectacular! 😱#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise | @csm_bucharest pic.twitter.com/HW2Dx6NOz1 A three-goal lead at the half for Krim that could have gone to the break with an even bigger lead but Amalie Milling and Anna Opstrup Kristensen slowed Krim down Esbjerg is however surely going to have to find a way to step it up in the second in case they want to fight for points in this one We're watching a real battle of goalkeepers with Gabriela Goncalves Dias Moreschi having seven for Bietigheim and Laura Glauser having three more for CSM and Amalie Milling are having a really good day so far being one of the key reasons why Krim hasn't managed to additionally widen the gap yet in the first Xenia Smits is leading Bietigheim with five goals so far Laura Glauser has eight saves already for CSM Beautiful move early in the game for Esbjerg That's a 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 finish! 👏#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise | @TeamEsbjerg pic.twitter.com/no5WYbiXDO Kaba Gassama Cissokho opened the game in a really good way with three early goals A quality opening from Krim as the Slovenian team takes a 5:2 lead to open the game Two goals for Tjasa Stanko and Daria Dimitrieva so far Only a few more minutes left until the opening buzzer in Ljubljana and Ludwigsburg A sneak peek into the warm-ups in Germany ahead of the game between Bietigheim and CSM Evelina Erikkson of CSM Bucuresti talked about the atmosphere within the team and their expectations for the season ahead both teams will be looking to make it 2/2 so far this season Slovenian team will at home look for what would be their first win over Esbjerg since 2016 Their defense looked really good in the first round and it will surely be interesting to see how good it will cope with Esbjerg's offense With only an hour left until the first games of the day We've got three games scheduled for today with Bietigheim hosting CSM as well as Metz hosting Ikast from 16.00 CET That's going to be it for our daily live coverage The live blog is going to be up and running again from 13.00 CET See you tomorrow and have a great night ahead You already know it - in our daily review you can find everything you need to know about the matches you've seen today Recap of the day after five EHF Champions League Women games on Saturday Lois Abbingh shared with us how much this win means after last weekend and the away loss against Ikast If you haven't already, and you'd like to receive all the important info right to your inbox, make sure to subscribe to our EHF Weekly Newletter That way you're going to receive all the latest stories As we're slowly bringing our live coverage for the day to an end we have to hear from Katharina Filter - Brest' goalkeeper Last three games of the days are now behind us which means it's time to check out some of the best images from Odense Vipers managed to defeat FTC in the rematch of the last season's EHF CLW final securing their first win of the season Jana Knedlikova led them in this one with eight goals Odense delivered one of their best EHF CLW performances ever defeating Buducnost 39:24 while Maren Nyland Aardahl and Malin Larsen Aune added five each especially in that first half during which they've already managed to secure points in this one after trailing throughout the bigger part of the game Rapid managed to secure points at home against Lublin It's a three-goal lead for Rapid heading into the final five minutes of the encounter and Vipers are leading FTC 35:26 at the moment Magnificent save here from Barbara Zima as Lublin keeps close Shields 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 🛡 Barbara Zima#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/wGlsGVpb48 Rapid overtakes the lead at 21:20 in Bucharest Dorina Korsos is leading their attack in this one with five goals so far Vipers widen the gap to ten goal only five minutes into the second forcing the guest-team coach to call for a timeout and try to bring his team back up Adrianna Gorna is having an amazing game with six goals from just as much attempts Will they manage to hold on to the lead until the end What a way to put an end to an amazing half There's no better way to end the first half than with an impressive goal 👏Larissa Nüsser ⚡#clw #ehfcl #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/hyikhouXsi 𝑭𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍: 💯Watch this amazing save by Armelle Attingré 💫#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/JT2wMerpo7 The result is 11:3 at the moment as Dione Housheer leads them with four goals from just as much attempts Vipers and FTC are currently levelled at 8:8 but what an assist it was from Anna Vyakhireva Surprise your opponent: 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 ✅Anna Vyakhireva for @VipersKrSand 😵#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/Bthshw6b2E It's a 4:2 Vipers lead five minutes into the encounter in the rematch of the last season's EHF CLW final welcome FTC May we present you with some of the best photos from our first two games of the day One of the main reasons why Brest managed to reach a comfortable win in Sweden is Valeriia Maslova Oh là là 🤯 Valeriia Maslova leaving us speechless with these goals 😶#clw #ehfcl #DareToRise | @BBH_Officiel pic.twitter.com/Ra2vHc3DNm 11 saves for Sandra Toft as Györ cruises past DVSC in the Hungarian derby of this EHF CLW round Jovana Jovovic and Liliana Csernyanszki netted four each Katharina Filter wins the MOTW MVP title after grabbing 15 saves and saving over 48% of shots heading her way as Brest Bretagne reaches an away win over Sävehof Emma Mihailovic and Thea Kylberg four each for hosts A five-goal lead for Brest with less than five minutes to go in our this round's MOTW A save that surely brings your whole team up Wait for the jump 😱#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/iOW83Nom6t Brest has a comfortable six-goal lead in Sweden as Toublanc and Jaukovic lead them with three goals each five goals for Emilie Hovden as Györ leads 19:11 at home As we're waiting for the first whistle of the second half let's have a look at this great shot by Jenny Helen Carlson Now 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 was quick ☄️ Jenny Helen Carlson for @BBH_Officiel 👏🏼#clw #ehfcl #DareToRIse pic.twitter.com/1KgVUGimGl Swedish team has a lot to talk about in case they want to narrow the gap and get back into this one in the second half as they've experienced way too many problems dealing with French team's defense especially in the opening part of the first The fact that Katharina Filter already has nine saves between the posts for Brest Bretagne is not working in favor of the home team either a four-goal lead for Györ at home against DVSC Ana Gros and Emilie Hovden are leading them with three goals each so far Plays like this one appear to be the only way for Sävehof to get past Brest Assist without looking? 🫣 Say no more 👇🏼🔥 Emma Mihailovic | @IK_Savehof #ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/quTAgmPsIX It's a 4:9 Brest leading going into the final ten minutes of the game as Sävehof really struggles to get past their defense and find a way to put the ball into the net Sandra Toft is dominating the game with five saves already as Györ leads 7:5 Toft finished the Round 1 game in the best possible way stopping Brest's last-second attempt to tie the game and that was no coincidence as Toft appears to be in great form early in the season and Pauletta Foppa are leading them with two goals each we're witnessing a real battle of defenses The result is 0:2 in favor of the guests with Sävehof still looking for a way through the French team's defense The hosts will have the first possession in Sweden With just over five minutes left until the opening whistle the atmosphere is heating up in Sweden and Hungary Here is the list of all the fixtures awaiting for us in the EHF CLW Round 2 Round 2 to continue enjoying the best competition on the planet! #ehfcl #CLW 🔥⚠️#MOTW 🌟 | IK Sävehof 🇸🇪 vs Brest Bretagne Handball 🇫🇷Which game will you watch 📺? pic.twitter.com/Jwp6tNLyRZ both teams will be aiming to put an end to their four-game losing streak in the EHF Champions League Women If we take a sneak peek at the history books and the chapter that talks about the encounters between Sävehof and Brest we'll see that the French team managed to come out with a victory in every single duel between the two teams so far Will the Swedish team manage to put an end to their winning series today We've got two games coming up from 16.00 CET - the MOTW in Partille as well as the Hungarian clash between Györ and DVSC Ahead of the game against their national rivals Rinka Duijndam said that the games between national rivals on the European level are always special Welcome to the live coverage of the second round of the EHF Champions League Women group phase in the 2023/24 season As we're heating up for a busy Saturday ahead of us check out our round preview that contains everything you need to know heading into the eight-game EHF CLW weekend we've spent some time with Johanna Bundsen ahead of the Round 2 MOTW in which Sävehof will welcome Brest Bretagne ROUND PREVIEW: Focus is on Scandinavia this weekend in round 2 of EHF Champions League Women MOTW INTERVIEW: Sävehof’s seasoned goalkeeper is looking forward to the match against Brest on Saturday DRAW: Recent champions meet and potential first-time winners clash in hotly-anticipated semi-finals after TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 semi-final… DRAW: The four sides who made it through the qualification tournaments now know who they will face in Cologne QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: A 30:29 victory for Szeged was not enough to book their first ticket to Cologne a single goal separated the 2023 title winners and Veszprém QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: 2018 finalists end Sporting CP’s Machineseeker EHF Champions League journey with second quarter-final win QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: After a nine-goal win in the first leg HANDBALL THROUGH MY EYES: Versatile One Veszprém back Nedim Remili reveals why he loves handball OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Court of Handball issues further decision regarding withdrawal of Vipers from EHF Champions League NEWS: Györi Audi ETO KC will meet Team Esbjerg and Metz Handball will play against Odense Håndbold on 31 May in the MVM Dome in Budapest STATS COUNTER: Julian Rux analyses the data to provide statistical insights for the Match of the Week Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Joanna Gill Kærshovedgård departure centre Ikast-Brande while welcoming thousands of Ukrainians in an apparent asylum crackdown u-turn This story is part of a special series on the EU's response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis and the two-tier system it created: Europe's asylum paradox  COPENHAGEN - Nestled in a patchwork of fields in remote rural Denmark and hidden from view behind a row of trees lies Kærshovedgård a former prison now housing hundreds of asylum seekers who have had their residence permits revoked Danish authorities call the Jutland facility Some are there while they appeal asylum rejections others because Denmark has no diplomatic ties with their countries and cannot send them home The average length of stay is around five years but this is skewed by 37 residents who have been there for more than 12 years a new arrival at the centre from Syria told Context has taken a hard line on immigration over the last decade confiscating asylum seekers' valuables and looking to locate asylum centres in countries like Rwanda and Serbia "They read the human rights declaration like the devil reads the Bible," said Morten Goll co-founder of refugee community centre Trampoline House But when Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the Danish government quickly overturned its 'zero asylum' policy and passed a special law giving more than 30,000 Ukrainians refuge Denmark was one of the first EU countries to tell Syrian refugees it was safe to return home and sent them letters telling them to go despite rights groups accusing the Syrian government of persistent abuses the immigration service called Almohamad's family in for an interview but his elderly parents were given 30 days to leave They were sent to Sjælsmark departure centre near Copenhagen, a seven-hour train ride from their home. Almohamad went to the media, wrote an open letter to the prime minister and filed an appeal with the Refugees Appeal Board He credits the media attention and NGO help as key to winning the case Almohamad is now working at a supermarket while studying at university to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a doctor There were 205 people housed in the Kærshovedgård departure centre in April and 202 in two other centres outside Copenhagen but Kærshovedgård is 13km (eight miles) from the nearest town and they must periodically register their presence at the centre "They do everything they can to make it appear like a prison When you're in a Danish prison the focus is on rehabilitation but not in the camp for rejected people," said Goll In 2021, Jahangir Eliasi, a Kurdish Iranian who applied for asylum in Denmark in 2015, went on a partial hunger strike to protest conditions in Kærshovedgård but the system for refugees is very difficult." The aim of the policy is to dissuade others from coming to Denmark Denmark has an opt-out from European Union asylum policy and had no obligation to follow Brussels' lead in offering Ukrainians temporary protection But the Danish law passed in March 2022 almost mirrors EU measures granting Ukrainians access to housing "The special law for Ukrainians has created essentially two classes of refugees," Dr Nikolas Tan state-funded Danish Human Rights Institute has given Ukrainians more rights than it had to but stripped rights for other refugees to a minimum recalled how smooth the application process was and now lives in a converted care home with other Ukrainian refugees the local authority registers Ukrainians and provides them with a residence permit that allows them the same benefits as Danish citizens Mahmoud Almohamad was 14 when he arrived in Denmark with his family He was moved between asylum centres for six months before the family could settle in Brønderslev in far northern Denmark "I wish I could have been treated like the Ukrainians who came to Denmark and get their rights from day one They had access to live in an apartment like this from day one," he said gesturing to the neatly furnished living room of his parents' modest apartment now you have been taken hostage by the Danish authorities in order to try to deter newcomers refugees who appeal immigration verdicts most often win a Syrian refugee and medical student at Aalborg University Ripsime Avoian from Ukraine who found work via ISS facility service provider company in Denmark pictured in the companies headquarters near Søborg Asylum seekers in Denmark are not allowed to find a job until their claim is approved but they can apply for permission to work if their application has been pending for six months Ukrainians can begin applying for jobs almost immediately from the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv arrived in March 2022 and was hired to work in catering by Danish facilities company ISS "They hired me without knowing the language," she said in translated comments found her previous translation work had dried up and it was hard to find a new job Although grateful for Denmark's support - "they have been amazing," she said - she wants to pay her way The special law for Ukrainians is to expire by 2025 With one-third of Ukrainians hoping to stay Denmark has to decide whether to extend the welcome Ukrainians will have to apply through the normal asylum process The United Nations refugee agency is calling for another form of international protection to ensure people are not forced to return prematurely "The level of protection provided under any new legal status should be more This article was reported with the support of Journalismfund Europe (Reporting by Joanna Gill; Editing by Jon Hemming.) Context is powered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles looking into the unprecedented use of the European Union's Temporary Protection Directive These links open on reuters.com By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy What does a Donald Trump presidency mean for LGBTQ+ rights? Indigenous forest peoples can finally control nature finance Inside Trump's $6mn deportee deal with El Salvador mega-prison Half London councils found using Chinese surveillance tech Portable internet helps Asia's scam centres bypass blackouts How is Bangladesh preparing farmers for increasingly salty soil? Context is a media platform created by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. We provide news and analysis that contextualises how critical issues and events affect ordinary people, society and the environment. Find out more. The Workforce Disclosure Initiative is an investor-backed project to improve the quantity & quality of corporate workforce data via an annual survey & engagement process Trust Conference is the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s flagship annual event taking place in the heart of London each year TrustLaw is the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service facilitating free legal assistance to NGOs and social enterprises around the world The Raiffeisen Sportpark in Graz will host the third edition of the EHF Finals Women the business end of a busy season in the EHF European League Women the second-tier club competition in the European handball pyramid which saw 98 games played in the Qualification Rounds and in the competition proper only four teams are still alive to fight for the trophy with only one of the sides qualified for the EHF Finals Women having previously won the trophy the final weekend of the competition will see two Danish sides – Ikast Håndbold and Nykobing Falster Håndbold – and two German sides – Thüringer HC and BV Borussia 09 Dortmund - fight for the coveted trophy which changed names from the Women’s EHF Cup to the EHF European League Women three seasons ago Ikast Håndbold were the only side to make the EHF Finals Women each time the Danish side are primed to be one of the favourites to clinch the trophy which would see them tie rivals Viborg HK as the team with the highest number of titles in the competition Ikast are riding an eight-game winning streak as proven in the quarter-finals against former winners Siofok KC which saw Ikast take a 61:41 aggregate win Boasting some excellent talent in their squad such as the top goal scorer of the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship Ikast will face Thüringer HC in the first semi-final as the German side returns to the semi-final of a European competition for the first time since 2009 when they were runners-up in the EHF Women’s Challenge Cup who is also the Austria women’s senior team coach have made it through to the EHF Finals Women after a turbulent season which saw them needing a masterstroke of a comeback in the quarter-finals against Les Neptunes de Nantes after conceding a 19:28 loss in the first leg Dortmund turned the tide and secured a 32:22 win on their home court to sail to the EHF Finals Women They have more experience than their opponents who are in the semi-finals of an international competition for the first time in history who scored 71 goals and will fight for the top goal scorer trophy this season NFH dropped three games so far this season but emerged victorious after losing the first quarter-final against SCM Ramnicu Valcea taking a 38:29 win to clinch a place in the EHF Finals Women The two semi-finals of the EHF Finals Women will take place in the Raiffeisen Sportpark Graz on Saturday with the bronze medal game and the big final scheduled at the same times but on Sunday 14 May Danish sides will have a chance to seal their 10th title in the competition while Germany have five titles under their belt and with another title the second consecutive one after SG BBM Bietigheim won it last season can consolidate their third position in the all-time standings of the second-tier European competition In an action-packed opening weekend we've seen eight games - five on Saturday we're bringing our EHF Champions League Women round one live coverage to an end while Metz secured a comfortable win over FTC meaning both of last year's EHF CLW finalists have started the season with a loss Speaking of last season's semi-finalists on the other hand Esbjerg and Györ secured wins in the opening round Bietigheim defeated Buducnost in Podgorica and Krim was dominant in Lublin also becoming the second team to join the 8,000 EHF CLW goal club which was To make the opening round even more interesting Györ became the third team to join the club on Sunday afternoon CSM opened the season with a home win over Odense and DVSC celebrated against Sävehof in their first game back after a 13-year-long CLW break The EHF CLW action continues next weekend so stay tuned and see you very soon It would be absolutely unfair to close the live coverage without the post-match statement of Györ's hero of the day - Sandra Toft here are all the EHF Champions League Women group stage round one results Jump into our X account and let us know which results surprised YOU the most this weekend #clw Round 1 spoiled us with some interesting matches 😎Which team surprised you the most this weekend? 🔽💭#ehfcl #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/qqPbhkPppl and the best way for you to find out absolutely everything you need to know about them is to read our daily review DAY REVIEW: Team Esbjerg and SG BBM Bietigheim seal comfortable wins With all eight games of the EHF CLW group stage round one now behind us, we'll once again use the opportunity to invite you all to subscribe to our EHF CL WEEKLY NEWSLETTER It is the best way to stay connected to all the action as we'll be bringing all the news exclusive stories and much more right to your inbox every Friday Some of the best photos from Brest and Esbjerg are now here so feel free to check them out Sandra Toft's last-second save helped Györ secure the opening win of the season against a really good Brest Bretagne team Kristine Breistol and Henny Reistad netted six each to help Esbjerg secure first points of the season against Rapid Bucuresti Anna Opstrup Kristensen also played a huge role in the win with amazing 17 saves Nicely executed by Simona Grozav who finds a tight hole and hurts Esbjerg Sorina Grozav stunning the crowd with her skills 😮#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/KyikfMFhR8 It's 22:23 and Brest possession with exactly five minutes left on the clock That means we've got a narrow finish ahead of us Despite being in front throughout the most of the game Györ can't find a way to widen the gap and seal the deal in this one it's a one-goal lead (21:22) for the Hungarians in France 8,000 EHF Champions League Women goals - checked What an amazing day to be a Györ fan 🟢🤩The Hungarian team reaches the 𝟖.𝟎𝟎𝟎-𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 in the #ehfcl after this amazing goal by Stine Oftedal👏 #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/frC4rsLhC0 Ten minutes into the second it is a +3 (17:20) Györ lead in France and offensive transition led by Stine Oftedal are proving to be the key in these moments A quick goal to start the second half brings Brest to only -1 Alicia Toublanc has some tricks up her sleeve 🔮#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise | @BBH_Officiel pic.twitter.com/ZsD1T456GQ and a four-goal lead for Györ heading into the final ten minutes of the first Can Brest stop the guests from extending the gap additionally Henny Reistad and Rikke Iversen surely agree It's 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 for @TeamEsbjerg 🎉 Henny Reistad 🤝 Rikke Iversen#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/6KIolAa3jR Eliza Iulia Buceschi is leading Rapid with three Györ managed to find the way through to the goal in their first possession in the game Brest responds quickly through Eva Jarrige Esbjerg's head coach Jesper Jensen knows how hard these first matches of the season can be especially when playing against top-quality teams: ''It's hard to say what the match-deciding factor will be in this one Rapid is paying us a visit in the first round and I feel like they are one of the teams that will be fighting for the top spot in out group I believe the team that finds the way to adapt first to everything EHF CLW brings to the table will have a great chance to win this one'' In case they manage to score at least 18 goals in this game Györ will find themselves in the exclusive company of only two other clubs that have managed to score over 8,000 goals in the EHF Champions League Women - Buducnost and Krim who did it yesterday in Poland against Lublin While waiting for our two last games of the round let's check out some of the best photos from Podgorica A few big saves from Armelle Attingre in the last few minutes but as we're slowly closing in on the final five minutes of this one Bietigheim still has a four-goal lead (19:23) Anyone in the mood for some dancing lessons? 💃Today's teacher: Xenia Smits 👩‍🏫#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/RU0Ay3DgxE five for Dorottya Faluvegi as guests keep on widening the gap in Podgorica and home-team coach Bojana Popovic decided it was the perfect time to call for a timeout in order to try and calm her team down helping them find the way to get back into the right rhythm Bietigheim scores a quick one to make it 10:12 Dorottya Faluvegi's 4/4 helped Bietigheim make a late push in the first and go to the half-time break with a one-goal lead in hand Gabriela Goncalves Dias Moreschi and Armelle Attingre grabbed seven saves each in the first half of the encounter that's far from decided after the first 30 Exactly 20 minutes into the game Buducnost leads 8:4 Bojana Popovic' idea to focus on slowing Bietigheim's offensive transition is proving to be a great one so far with the guests struggling to find the net in the early stage of the game Starting the new season in style it's Kalidiatou Niakate Talk about starting the season 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒 😎Kalidiatou Niakate scores the first goal for WHC Buducnost BEMAX 👏#ehfcl #clw #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/l2CFVRlr9d Five minutes in the game is levelled at 2:2 with defenses dominating the encounter on both sides so far Buducnost is going to have the first possession With just over 15 minutes left until the opening buzzer here are the warm-up photos from Podgorica we'll see the other two last season's EHF CLW semi-finalists take the court - Györ is going up against Brest Bretagne in France and Esbjerg is going to welcome Rapid Bucuresti It's been a nightmare opening so far for last season's semi-finalists with Vipers losing to Ikast in Denmark and FTC suffering a rough defeat versus Metz which is why it will be interesting to see the shape Györ and Esbjerg are in at the start of the new season Coach Vestergaard believes his team is in a good position travelling to Montenegro but he knows it is going to be a tough one Jakob Vestergaard's Bietigheim is going up against Bojana Popovic and Buducnost And while they will today face each other from the opposite sides of the court the two share plenty of memories they'll surely never forget Jakob Vestergaard-led Viborg climbed the EHF Champions League Women throne in back to back seasons with Bojana Popovic playing a crucial role on the court for the Danish team Bojana Popovic - now at the helm in Podgorica believes she knows what will be the key in this one: ''I believe we've analyzed them well in these past few months While they can hurt you in positional attack and in order to succeed we're simply going to have to find an answer for that but we'll do our best to start the season with a victory!'' With only an hour left until the first game of the day in which Buducnost is going to welcome Bietigheim Have a great night ahead and see you tomorrow Live coverage is going to be up and running again from 13.00 CET tomorrow with the first game scheduled for 14.00 CET Everything you need to know about today's matches you'll find in our daily review DAY REVIEW: The first Match of the Week of this season’s EHF Champions League Women delivered the first big shock Defeating reigning EHF Champions League Women winners in the first round surely deserves some extra credit which is why we'll be closing our today's live coverage with a post-match statement from Ikast' head coach Kasper Christensen As we're slowly bringing our live coverage for the day to an end, we've got to use the opportunity to invite you all to subscribe to our EHF CL WEEKLY NEWSLETTER exclusive stories and much more right to your inbox on every Friday Tomorrow we'll see the other two last season's EHF CLW semi-finalists in action - Györ is travelling to France to play Brest Opening the day from 14.00 CET will be Buducnost and Bietigheim Today we've seen last season's EHF ELW winners Ikast Herning deliver a splendid performance and come out on top against reigning EHF CLW champions Vipers Krim and Metz proved to be in mid-season form with the Slovenian team facing Polish Lublin and Metz dominating last season's EHF CLW finalists FTC in Hungary CSM defeated Odense on wings of a splendid performance by their goalie Laura Glauser and who else then Cristina Neagu DVSC returned to the EHF CLW in style with a home win over Sävehof it's time to have a quick glance at some of the photos from Bucharest A late push helps Odense cut the gap to one with five minutes left to play Laura Glauser explodes for amazing 20 saves Maren Nyland Aardahl scores seven for Odense Huge road win for Krim in a match in which they were able to rotate the roster and give everyone a chance with almost all players writing their names on the scoresheet We've got to highlight Jovanka Radicevic and her 5 goals because even in her 20th EHF CLW season she's showing no signs of stopping In what was their return to the EHF Champions League Women DVSC managed to defeat Sävehof flying on the wings of Petra Vamos and her six goals Having the privilege of watching their team compete against the best again after 13 long years and celebrating in the end - it sounds like it's going to be a long night ahead for DVSC fans Amazing 1:5 scoring series brings Odense on a verge of making it a completely levelled game with 24:23 and it looks like we're poised for a narrow ending Absolutely amazing 17 saves for Laura Glauser as we're entering the final ten minutes in Bucharest new opponents - same danger for for the opposition goalies Nothing can stop her...😎Cristina Neagu never fails to amaze with her outstanding goals for @csm_bucharest.#ehfcl #clw pic.twitter.com/Y2MZPqenNW while Barbara Aarenhart takes care of business between the posts for Krim leads to a beautiful goal from Alja Varagic on the other side Krim is looking really good so far against Lublin in Poland THIS jump AND shot! A display of pure skill and class!🤩👏 Alja Varagic scores here beautifully for Krim Mercator Ljubljana!#ehfcl #clw pic.twitter.com/Dhw5S04fe2 With five minutes left on the clock in Bucharest CSM has a comfortable 16:7 lead led by Elena Crina Pintea and who else than Cristina Neagu with the two combining for 10 goals in this one so far Laura Glaser appears to be in good mood as well with eight saves A nine-goal lead for Krim in Poland as Barbara Aarenhart shines stopping over 50% of shots heading her way It looks like it is going to be tough night for the Polish time unless they find a way to hurt Krim offensively has a 14:11 home lead against Sävehof with Thea Blomst and her 5/5 for the Swedish team being the only reason why the home team hasn't managed to additionally extend the gap CSM keeps up the strong pace on the defensive side in the first controlling the transition on the other side and widening the gap to 12:6 midway through the opening half of the game 5:2 early lead for Krim in Poland as Barbara Aarenhart grabs two saves Greta Kacsor already has three as DVSC leads Sävehof 8:5 CSM appear to be in a really good form early in the season following a nine-goal Romanian Super Cup win over their biggest rivals Rapid Laura Glaser is aware of how important these first EHF CLW games of the season can be: ''It is always good to start the season with a win It won't be easy this time as Odense has a really good team and we can't wait to meet our fans in the Polivalenta sports hall!'' With just over ten minutes left until the first whistle of the final three games of the day let's check out some of the best photos from Denmark and Hungary ''I feel like we fought hard today but we simply failed to make that final step and win points and I'm sure we'll show it in the matches ahead!'' Irma Schjött was obviously very happy with the game: ''Of course we are very happy with the way we played here today in the first round I am happy about my performance but this was a team win and we'll surely all enjoy it now!'' An absolute masterclass performance from Irma Schjött who finished the game with 20 saves eventually taking a well-deserved MOTW MVP title helped Ikast secure a win over Vipers last season's EHF ELW winners have managed to defeat reigning EHF CLW champs in the first round Is there a better proof that an exciting season is ahead of us and 13 saves for Hatadou Sako as Metz secure an easy road win in Hungary Antje Angela Malestein finished the game with nine goals for FTC but that was not enough for the Hungarian team to endanger Metz today and a goal number one from Marketa Jerabkova help Ikast widen the gap to four with only five minutes left on the clock in Denmark and they have to do it now in case they want to secure at least a point in the first round What a day for Stine Ruscetta Skogrand so far She's 5/5 and Ikast have a five-goal lead going into the final 12 minutes of the encounter Will we see a surprise in the first encounter of this season's EHF CLW WOW! 😍 Superb lighting-fast shot⚡️by Stine Ruscetta Skogrand! #ehfcl #clw #MOTW #DareToRise pic.twitter.com/d5p1LeHUxx Simone Cathrine Petersen punishes Vipers' offensive mistake in transition making it +4 (22:18) for Ikast again Irma Schjött has 12 saves and the hosts are in a really good position with nothing but the final quarter of the game left and the hosts are back in front in Denmark (17:15) Vipers Kristiansand in the chasing role again Meanwhile Metz has +10 in Hungary as Chloe Valentini shines with 8/8 Tuva Ulsaker Hove scores her first of the day to level the game at 12:12 in Denmark with just under a minute and a half to go in the first After leading by as much as six goals in the earlier stage of the first half Ikast slowed down allowing Vipers to get back into this one An interesting second half is surely ahead of us With under five minutes to go in the first Metz extends the gap to six goals in Hungary (11:17) Seven saves for Camille Depuiset who has managed to stop just under 40% of shots heading her way being the key factor in her team's splendid first-half performance With only ten minutes left until the half-time buzzer Making sure Irma Schjött is not the only goalkeeper we're talking about in this match is Katrine Lunde and all that in her nineteenth EHF CLW season GREAT SAVE 🔥 by Katrine Lunde, who was named best goalkeeper of the 2022/23 season at the EHF Excellence Awards! #ehfcl #clw #MOTW pic.twitter.com/1CR96RfK9F A dreamy start of the match continues for coach Kasper Christensen and his team as Ikast widens the gap to six goals (8:2) just 12 minutes into the encounter It looks like Vipers can't find a way through home-team defense and when they eventually do incredible Irma Schjött is here to turn them down - even from the seven-meter line Solid defensive display early on helps Ikast extend the gap to four (6:2) with nine minutes on the clock Skogrand and Hougaard score one each as Ikast overtakes the lead at 3:2 Metz leads FTC 0:3 in Hungary with Camille Depuiset starting the match incredibly well with four early saves Lisa Tchaptchet Defo opens the scoring in Denmark as Vipers takes a 0:1 lead aiming for the goal we've set for ourselves and that is to Girls are looking ready for the task ahead'' Vipers head coach ahead of the trip to Herning Kasper Christensen - head coach of the home team in this one said: ''Vipers are an absolute world-class team with some of the best players in women's handball like Katrine Lunde and Anna Vyakhireva Meeting the three-time EHF CLW winners at home in the first round is a dream for us.'' It will surely be interesting to see whether Christensen and his players have what it takes to endanger the reigning champions in the first round and make it a dream their fans would surely have a hard time trying to forget With only 15 minutes left until the opening whistle in Denmark and Hungary take a minute to check out our Dare to Rise campaign video that is surely going to get your blood flowing and set the tone for what's only minutes away now Visual with all the starting times is here Welcome to the live coverage of the first round of the EHF Champions League Women group stage We've got two exciting days ahead with the competition starting with some top-class games between the teams you surely already know a lot about we've prepared a round preview where you'll find out everything you need to know about the eight encounters we'll be focusing on today and tomorrow We've also talked to Markéta Jeřábková ahead of the MOTW of round one in which Vipers will head to Denmark to play Ikast we've also prepared a piece about the most experienced players in our this season's campaign led by who else than the incredible Montenegrin star player Jovanka Radicevic FEATURE: The Montenegrin tops the list of the most experienced players who will be on court in the EHF Champions League Women 2023/24 FEATURE: Ikast pulled off a coup this summer who the Czech left back will face in the first Match of… ROUND PREVIEW: The new season of the EHF Champions League Women throws off this weekend with eight entertaining games scheduled throughout… see how much you know about the EHF Champions League Women BROADCAST: The list of TV companies and broadcasters for the new EHF Champions League Women and Machineseeker EHF Champions League are confi… making it all the way to the EHF European League Finals they ultimately lost both matches — the semi-final against Siófok and a tight game to decide third place against Romanian powerhouse Minaur Baia Mare It will be a tough task for Herning-Ikast to repeat their top-four ranking this season or do better Most important question: Do Herning-Ikast have the squad to reach the finals What Herning-Ikast achieved last season in both Europe and the Danish league was impressive They won five out of six games in the European League group phase and then eliminated Lada in the quarter-finals whilst finishing third in the Danish league But since then they have lost a few of their best players from last season Helene Gigstad Fauske to Brest Bretagne and Mie Sando to Borussia Dortmund That does not seem to worry head coach Kasper Christensen “Last year we played in the finals and we will fight for that again,” says Christensen “Herning-Ikast have played European handball for many years in a row Left wing Emma Friis is one of the more experienced players in this year’s Herning-Ikast squad — and that says a lot given she is only 22 years old and already team captain Friis has played senior handball in the club since 2016 and made her debut for the Danish national team back in 2018 She is considered one of the biggest talents in Danish handball “We will do better this season than we did last year,” says the captain That means at least a bronze medal in the EHF European League But the left wing realises that it will be a tough task considering all the top teams vying for the trophy: “Most teams from the finals last season are back strong teams such as Bietigheim and Viborg are involved this year There will be a tough battle to make it to the finals.” Herning-Ikast have lost one of their best players for 2021/22 captain and one of the most experienced players in the team is pregnant and will not be playing this season Two out of three newcomers this season are from the other side of Öresundsbron — the bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden left back and daughter of Swedish national team head coach Tomas Axner were recruited from Swedish clubs H65 and Lugi Departures: Helene Gigstad Fauske (Brest Bretagne) EHF European League participations (including 2021/22): twoSemi-finals (1): 2020/21 2011Finalists (1): 2007Semi-finalists (4): 2008 EHF Champions League:Semi-finalists (2): 2003 German side SG BBM Bieitgheim travel to Denmark this weekend for the second leg of their EHF Champions League Women play-off against Ikast Handbold And if anyone on the team knows the IBF Arena then it is their new coach Jakob Vestergaard Vestergaard has coached at Ikast (formerly known as Ikast-Bording or FC Midtjylland) twice in his career – right at the start in 2004 as assistant coach and in 2012 as head coach he has visited the arena “more than 25 times” with the other teams he has coached “It is only 25 minutes by car from Viborg to Ikast and of course this derby is the match of all matches for both sides We said in Viborg: If we win only one match in the season then it must be against Ikast,” Vestergaard says Vestergaard became Viborg coach for the first time in 2008 he steered the club to two EHF Champions League trophies A short stint in Aalborg was followed by a longer time in Romania then became sports director and coach at CSM Bucuresti Vestergaard also coached two national teams: first Australia from 2006 to 2008 – without even going to Australia as they “always trained in Sweden” In 2014 he took over the German national team but left after the 2015 World Championship Vestergaard returned to Viborg and in 2022 steered his team to the EHF Finals on home ground where they lost in the final to Bietigheim who had beaten Ikast in a thrilling semi-final the day before as successor to Markus Gaugisch at Bietigheim as his predecessor now only focuses on the German national team After Bietigheim narrowly missed the EHF Champions League play-offs in 2022/23 now the German champions have the chance to make it to the quarter-finals they will be the first-ever German club in this stage of the competition since the current playing system was implemented As the sixth-ranked team in group A, Bietigheim had a high hurdle to cross, but after winning the first leg at home 29:27, they have their fate in their hands in MOTW on Sunday (14:00 CET, live on EHFTV) in the IBF Arena This was exactly the situation we had hoped for before the first leg” One week after their – more or less sensational – defeat in the German cup final against TuS Metzingen Bietigheim’s first lost in domestic competitions after more than three years his team showed great morale and turned the home match against Ikast around after a 17:20 deficit If you face the best attack of the Champions League you need to defend well if you want to have a chance “But I know from my matches in the past how hard it is to win at Ikast.” His tactics for the second play-off leg sounds quite easy: “Putting the pedal to the metal for 60 minutes We need to play with full speed and therefore we have to rotate a lot to keep this speed high constantly and to have enough power for the last 10 minutes.” Bietigheim had something of a roller-coaster ride in the group phase They started with five consecutive victories followed by four defeats against top sides Odense Håndbold and Györi Audi ETO KC “But we had shown even in the defeats against Odense and Györ what we are capable of The only really weak match was the home defeat against Debrecen,” says Vestergaard “It was our main goal to proceed to the play-offs as every Champions League match is something special.” playing in Denmark is nothing particularly unusual then they signed Markéta Jeřábková and now have a world-class squad Sarah Iversen and Stine Skogrand play on the highest level “Our starting seven has a lot of quality too as Ikast’s squad is much wider,” he assesses one more option is back in Bietigheim’s squad after an injury break: Czech left wing Veronika Mala The MOTW will be played by the two previous winners of the European League “You cannot automatically say that European League winners are successful in the Champions League too as you need the infrastructure in your club as the Champions League is on another level But in the case of Ikast and Bietigheim it holds true,” says Vestergaard Many of his friends and family will come to Ikast to meet him “Normally it is 10 hours by car or three hours by plane so this is a great chance to see them again the atmosphere in the arena will be brilliant and we will see a world-class match.” If Bietigheim clinch their quarter-final berth Vestergaard would have another trip to his country ahead – as the aggregate winners of this pairing will face Odense in the next round “I would love to return again and that we make it,” the coach concludes QUARTER-FINALS PREVIEW: Four close clashes in the EHF Champions League Women quarter-finals will decide EHF FINAL4 participants 2011 – The midway point of the six week HITS Arizona Winter Circuit was highlighted by big victories for Bjorn Ikast in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix and Gretchen Lof in the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix is a regular at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit and has been knocking on the door for a Grand Prix win all season He finished third two weeks in a row but all that changed this week Ikast had three horses in Sunday’s feature class and took the top three spots on each of his mounts forcing New Mexico’s Elani Rager and Lisa Upplegger’s Castor the winners of the first two Grand Prix of the season out of the top of the class for the first time.Ikast was the only rider to go clear on Canadian Danny Foster’s course and he did so on each of his three mounts second on his own Iz’s Viva La Vida and third aboard Bovee Limited’s Colorado as it always is from Danny [Foster],” said Ikast which suits my riding and my horses very well The fences came up fast and there were some pretty short distances I felt really well-prepared on Sunday after riding his courses all week He did a nice job building to get us ready for Sunday We’ve come close a few times over the past couple of weeks Last week I had the same last rail down which was unlucky This week it was my day!”Rager and Castor’s reign came to an end on Sunday when they had a rail in the first combination of the course and then finished with four faults in a time of 87.469 seconds to take fourth place.Canadian Eric Martin and Jan Ash-Gross’ Kumano knocked down the same rail as Rager did and finished in fifth place with a time of 89.116 seconds The win marked the 22nd Grand Prix victory for Brave Heart a Danish warmblood who Ikast has had for almost seven years “He’s a well-seasoned horse; I call him my ‘teenager’ loyal friend and he does really well with short distances My other horses are relatively new to me and we are getting to know each other I’m looking forward to more success with all three of them here in Arizona.”Ikast with three qualifying Grand Prix in his pocket holds the number 11 spot in the current Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix Rider Rankings with more than $14,000 in prize money won with his leading mount Colorado “The Pfizer Million is just a fantastic opportunity and I’m so thankful that HITS has provided this chance for the sport in the United States If my horses keep going well and stay sound it will absolutely be a goal of mine to qualify for that class It would be the chance of a lifetime to compete for a purse of that size and I hope to be able to do so this year.”Currently Rager and Castor enjoy the sixth-place spot in the Pfizer Million Rider Rankings with $17,000 in prize money won Oregon’s Rich Fellers still holds the number one spot in the Rider Rankings with more than $28,000 won aboard his leading mount High-Performance riders showing at HITS Arizona this winter will have three more opportunities to get an early jump on qualifying for this year’s Pfizer Million which will take place on September 11 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix On Saturday Gretchen Lof of Cave Creek Arizona piloted Nancy Gray’s Shine On Me to a first-place finish in the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix who finished second in the class last week aboard her own Dresden scored an 86 in the first round and an 88 in the handy for a total of 174.Meredith Houx-Remiger of Albuquerque New Mexico riding her own Malbec scored an 84 in the first round and an 85 in the second round for a total of 169 and the second-place honors.Third place went to Gillian Hormel of Paradise Valley Arizona who was in the irons this week with Lof’s Dresden and scored a 73 in the first round and an 87 in the handy for a total of 160.Rounding out the top five in the class was Michael Dennehy of Elizabeth in fifth place with a score of 150.The $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix is a new addition to the HITS Arizona schedule and is a qualifier for the all-new Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final which will take place September 10-11 in Saugerties HITS Arizona will host a total of six Devoucoux Hunter Prix qualifiers for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final including the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix which takes place on Saturday join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!Photos:  Bjorn Ikast and Colorado on course in Sunday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix Ikast captured all three of the top spots in the class © Horseinsport.com Bjorn Ikast and his blue-ribbon mount Brave Heart after their victory in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix © Horseinsport.com Gretchen Lof rides Nancy Gray’s Shine On Me to victory in the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit © Horseinsport.com Gretchen Lof and Shine On Me in the winner’s circle after Saturday’s $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Click here to check out the latest news and updates on the Iberian Showcase Suzan Oakley an innovative leader and educator in advanced equine rehabilitation provides a healing refuge for equine athletes on the mend Registered properties of HorsesDaily®Inc. A media and marketing company for the Equine Industry. All content under this copyright is the property of HorsesDaily® Inc. Unless otherwise noted. ©1997 - 2025 horsesdaily.com and dressagedaily.com Enter your email address and we will send you a link to change your password Thüringer HC secured a place in the EHF European League Women 2024/25 quarter-finals in a dramatic fashion as Csenge Kuczora successfully converted a penalty shot in the dying seconds to seal a 27:26 win against ATTICGO Bm Elche The victory means Thüringer are guaranteed to finish second in group A Dunarea Braila and Larvik crucial for the final spot Fredrikstad Ballklubb’s journey in the competition ended thanks to Paris 92’s first win of the group phase The 28:29 loss for Fredrikstad means Super Amara Bera Bera will progress from group D alongside their Sunday opponents HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames 9,305 spectators witnessed BV Borussia Dortmund's 29:28 victory against Sola HK to secure third place in group B Ikast Håndbold handed SCM Ramnicu Valcea their first defeat (36:34) in the group phase and HSG Blomberg-Lippe defeated Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC 33:28 to book the top spot in group C Two out of the four quarter-finals pairings are already confirmed: Thüringer HC will play SCM Ramnicu Valcea while Super Amara Bera Bera will meet HSG Blomberg-Lippe Fredrikstad Ballklubb (NOR) vs Paris 92 (FRA) 28:29 (11:13) Even though Paris 92 were already eliminated from the race to reach the quarter-finals the inspired visitors were determined to avoid a winless campaign in the group phase and made Fredrikstad Ballklubb's life as hard as possible Despite the Norwegian club enjoying an early lead once Paris took control of the match ahead of half-time it was a difficult task for the hosts to catch Stephane Plantin's squad Fredrikstad made a late attempt to recover from a five-goal deficit Paris 92 were much calmer as well as more efficient in crunch time The visitors’ first win ended Fredrikstad’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals Magdele Kvarving Sandtrø scored seven goals and was the match's top scorer while Emmanuelle Thobor was Paris 92's top scorer with five Thüringer HC (GER) vs ATTICGO Bm Elche (ESP) 27:26 (13:15) BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs Sola HK (NOR) 29:28 (19:14) Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) 36:34 (18:17) HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC (HUN) 33:28 (15:13) The second leg of the EHF European League Women 2022/23 quarter-final between Ikast Handbold against Siófok KC ended just as convincingly for the Danish side as the first leg After taking a big 31:21 victory on Saturday evening Ikast are the first team this season to qualify for the EHF Finals Women in Graz QUARTER-FINAL, SECOND LEGIkast Handbold (DEN) vs Siófok KC (HUN) 31:21 (17:8)Ikast Handbold won 61:41 on aggregate The second leg between Ikast and Siófok was going to decide which team qualified for the EHF Finals Women 2023 on 13-14 May 2023 Ikast were in front by one goal – and so it continued With a great tactical performance from players like Stine Skogrand Ingvild Bakkerud and Sarah Iversen – who all scored goals in the first part of the first half – Ikast were in front 5:3 after seven minutes Siófok were right on the heels of the Danes with Dejana Milosavljevic adding to her account Julie Scaglione is unstoppable tonight ☄️#ehfel pic.twitter.com/5IUAWv5mM1 who continued to score goals and showcase their defence before they could celebrate a 10-goal victory like last weekend Even though Siófok have to travel back to Hungary without a victory Dejana Milosavljevic can enjoy that she became the top scorer of Saturday's game with nine goals from 12 shots produced a great performance to finish with a save percentage of 52.94 per cent Ikast are the first team to make it to the semi-finals of the EHF European League Women 2022/23 The draw for the semi-final pairings of the EHF Finals Women will be drawn on Tuesday 28 March at 4pm in Graz The stage for the penultimate matches of the EHF European League Women 2021/22 is set following the draw to determine the semi-final pairings on Thursday afternoon in Vienna Viborg will meet Baia Mare and Herning-Ikast will face Bietigheim when the EHF Finals Women get underway on 14 May with the winners progressing to the trophy match on 15 May and the defeated teams to battle for bronze The venue for the second edition of the EHF Finals Women was announced earlier on Thursday with Viborg confirmed as the host city and the matches to be played in Vibocold Arena Viborg HK will therefore play on the home court while another EHF Finals Women participant will not be far from their own base in Herning Herning-Ikast reached the same stage of the EHF European League Women last season right behind the other side that also contested the first EHF Finals Women they will hope for a different outcome against their respective opponents this time around the 2021/22 edition marks a return to the medal round of a European cup competition after a three-season wait following their last semi-final participation in the EHF Cup in 2018/19 The most recent title celebrated by the three-time Champions League winners was the Cup Winners’ Cup back in 2014 German side SG BBM Bietigheim have only reached the semi-final round in a European cup competition once before — in the EHF Cup in 2016/17 Herning-Ikast Handbold sealed third place at the Energi Viborg EHF Finals clinching a hard-fought win against CS Minaur Baia Mare which needed a penalty shootout to decide the winners 3/4 PLACEMENT MATCHCS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU) vs Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) 28:29 (24:24)(12:14) Emotional rollercoaster finishes with Herning-Ikast win It was a true rollercoaster and an exciting finish for both Herning-Ikast and CS Minaur Baia Mare in the Energi Viborg EHF Finals as the Danish side took a crunch win after a penalty shootout The decisive miss was Baia Mare’s fourth penalty as line player Yaroslava Burlachenko shot almost directly at goalkeeper Jessica Ryde Baia Mare proved they are no pushovers with their performance over the weekend which saw them drop the semi-final against Viborg by four goals and tie the match against Herning-Ikast as the 20 fans who came from Romania gave their favourites a standing ovation It's finals day at the EHF Finals Women 2023 in Graz and Ikast Handbold have become champions after overcoming tough opponents Nykøbing Falster Håndbold BV Borussia 09 Dortmund beat Thüringer HC for third place We hope you enjoyed the handball and the coverage Next up in two weeks' time is the EHF Finals Men 2023 from Flensburg Enjoy the highlights of the final on YouTube - you can also find the rest of the weekend's matches there too we did manage to grab Julie Scaglione - and Mia Svele - for a quick chat Time for our final press conference - watch here: Lots of celebration and dancing on court as Ikast salute their loyal fans who travelled so far to support them in the title hunt As Ikast go up to collect the trophy, read our match review of that excellent final between two great Danish teams FINAL REVIEW: Emma Friis and Ingvild Bakkerud delivered top performances to secure the trophy for Ikast Ikast left wing Emma Friis is named MVP of the EHF Finals Women after a highly effective showing throughout the weekend Ikast celebrate with their fans while the court is prepared for the medal presentation The result confirms Thüringer's Annika Lott as the competition's top scorer with 68 goals - eight more than Nykøbing's Elma Halilcevic Such a strong second half from Ikast: once they had drawn level they never let up and in the end took a big win on their third appearance at the EHF Finals Women they have won 11 European League games in a row and have drawn their unbeaten season to a deserving conclusion They gave that everything and should definitely go away with heads high after a brilliant debut in the competition Ikast have a 30:23 lead and three minutes to go - the title is all but in their hands Emma Friis steps up for another penalty and Ikast have a 27:21 lead with eight minutes to go They're now playing with supreme confidence in attack and defence We're halfway through the second half and Ikast now lead 24:20 Emma Friis has scored 10 goals - including six seven-metre penalties - and with Jessica Ryde being more effective in goal Ikast steal the ball and seek to score into the empty net as Nykøbing play seven-on-six and they lose an opportunity to go two goals up and Ikast have another chance which Emma Friis seizes It's 21:19 to Ikast - are the three-time EHF Finals participants finally on their way to the trophy What a treat to see two teams playing on such an equal level Nykøbing's energy levels seem to be holding up well although they're perhaps starting to make a few errors as Ikast look more comfortable After just under four minutes of the half the score is level at 17:17 Nykøbing will probably be feeling a bit frustrated they let a four or five-goal lead slip from their hands Jessica Ryde's return to form at the end of the half Jessica Ryde is back in goal after four misses by Andrea Austmo - and she makes a save allowing Ikast the opportunity to attack for a one-goal margin Cecilie Greve saves Stine Skogrand's first effort but Emma Friis nets on the rebound Ikast have found a bit of a way through and have closed up to two goals (12:14) Alberte Kielstrup is on 🔥😮What happened to Ikast's defence? 🧐#ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/eMzOQJfGBX Nykøbing continue to lead by four goals (11:7) but as we move into the 20th minute it's timeout time for the women in yellow Jakob Larsen wastes no time and his players are back in position well before the minute is over Nykøbing are nailing it 😱🔥#ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/Wn7BnaB1y4 Jessica Ryde is off and Andrea Austmo comes on in goal for Ikast Ikast coach Kasper Christensen calls his first timeout as Nykøbing go 9:5 up Jessica Ryde hasn't saved anything yet and that's not helping Ikast on Nykøbing's attacks at all But they're not getting to run much and Nykøbing are leading 6:3 Who could stop that rocket? 🚀🤯#ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/CZfDc62fqM After preventing Ikast from scoring Nikita van der Vliet wastes no time on netting on the counter-attack - it's 5:3 to the debutantes Five minutes in and Nykøbing lead 2:1 - a good start for them It's all come down to this - which Danish team will be European League champions Warm-up is finishing and the final is now very close We have two strongly Scandinavian sides on court now The question is how well Nykøbing have recovered from their battle with Dortmund yesterday Some quotes from the players after that game An update on the race for top scorer: Annika Lott ended with 68 goals Elma Halilcevic needs 12 goals to match that which is a big ask (though not impossible) Steered by a magnificent display from Yara ten Holte Dortmund take the win and third place in the EHF European League Women 2022/23 Dortmund are closing in on a win - 27:21 with 90 seconds to go Yara ten Holte is up to 22 saves from 40 shots and there's still 10 minutes left of the game It's just an insane performance and she's showing why she is a finalist for the EHF Excellence Awards Thüringer have made more attempts on goal than Dortmund but so few shots are going in Lisa Antl falls awkwardly and is helped off court so the team physio can look at her knee The score is 20:18 - Thüringer are fighting back again Dortmund regain the four-goal lead they held previously The goalkeeping in this game is off the charts - 17 saves (54.8 per cent) for Yara ten Holte The game restarts with a long attack for Dortmund which finally ends with a nine-metre shot from Dana Bleckmann With Sara Garovic serving a suspension Thüringer took advantage and closed the gap on Dortmund to 10:12 Dortmund coach Henk Groener called a timeout as the clock ticked to 29 minutes but Nicole Roth made a good save and the scoreline is unchanged going into the break Thüringer finally get a shot past Yara ten Holte but Dortmund respond instantly as Lisa Antl scores a quick goal This is Yara ten Holte's last European match for Dortmund and what a game she's having with nine saves (56.3 per cent) and an empty net goal already Dortmund have signed fellow Dutch player Tess Lieder (née Wester) to replace ten Holte Yara ten Holte keeps impressing us 😳🔥 #ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/fotZMHMJRJ Thüringer showed a good response to that deficit and are back to 5:6 But a string of saves and misses by both teams means nobody has scored for well over three minutes Dortmund take a 6:3 lead - three Anna-Lena Hausheer penalties two goals by Haruno Sasaki and one from Dana Bleckmann - so Thüringer call a timeout Annika Lott and Vilma Matthijs in the Thüringer attack is proving pretty effective against the Dortmund defence; Thüringer's defence is also excellent and making things hard work for Dortmund when in possession But Dortmund lead 4:3 thanks to several penalties and Yara ten Holte's saves Early in the game Thüringer concede a penalty and Anna-Lena Hausheer sends a lovely soft lob over Nicole Roth's head to give Dortmund a 2:1 lead Annika Lott of Thüringer (61 goals) and Elma Halilcevic of Nykøbing (56 goals) are in the running for top scorer - we'll keep you updated on how that competition goes Although the placement match is between two German teams both have a number of non-German players in their squads Dortmund's line-up includes their Dutch goalkeeper Yara ten Holte and her countrywomen Zöe Sprengers and Harma van Kreij Dane Nikoline Lundgreen and Italian Anika Niederwieser But perhaps most interestingly, the two sides each have a Japanese player on their squads. Dortmund's Haruno Sasaki and Thüringer's Yuki Tanabe spoke to EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu earlier this year about their experiences in Europe and it's well worth revisiting that piece now FEATURE: Three Japanese players are plying their trade thousands of kilometres away from home in the EHF European League The first players are arriving on court to warm up for the placement match There's a good buzz about the Raiffesen Sportpark today They've played four times in previous European competitions the two have played 21 games: Nykøbing winning six half of Nykøbing's wins have come in the past three years The last encounter was at the end of January 2023 The biggest margin was in 2014 when Ikast beat Nykøbing in Nykøbing by 13 goals The two teams have been high scoring throughout this year's competition with Nykøbing scoring 404 goals since the start of qualification (13 matches) at an efficiency rate of 67.1 per cent Ikast have netted 281 goals in nine games at 64.3 per cent Let's have a look at the head-to-head stats for the two matches Although Dortmund and Thüringer have never played each other in European competition they have previously met several times in the Bundesliga Their last meeting was in January in Dortmund when Dortmund came back from four goals down at the break to draw 30:30 Dortmund have however had more success recently winning five games in a row between September 2019 and February 2022 While most of their games have been close affairs Thüringer did inflict a 38:27 defeat on Dortmund in May 2022 This season in the European League Dortmund have had a better defence We're at the arena and ready for it to fill up with fans The placement match throws off in three hours Our photographers were hard at work yesterday and Ikast picked their favourite pictures from their semi-final win - check out the gallery here and we'll be back soon with more updates from the Raiffeisen Sportpark FEATURE: THC right back Jennifer Rode looks ahead to the third place match against her former teammates It's worth heading over to Nykøbing's Facebook page for the series of videos they posted last night - including interviews with coach Jakob Larsen and players Cecilie Greve and Nikita van der Vliet (in Danish) and Dortmund coach Henk Groener (in English) Meet finalists Marie Hélène Sajka and Elma Halilcevic - who's the best cook And are they here because of talent or luck 🇫🇷 Marie Sajka X Elma Halilcevic 🇩🇰 Tag your teammate who can relate on that 👇😂#ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/IAJLAAFJBV Or will Ikast make good on the promise they've shown not just this year but in the past two years Welcome to the finals day live blog for the EHF European League Women 2022/23 the winners will lift the trophy later on today at the end of a fantastic season in the second-tier club competition We know those winners will be a Danish club with competition newcomers Nykøbing Falster Håndbold up against Ikast Handbold at 18:00 CEST after earning their place in dramatic fashion with yesterday's penalty shootout win over BV Borussia 09 Dortmund That result also means the placement match at 15:30 CEST will be another national derby Lots to look forward to - stay with us throughout the day for news Start with the final preview for the key facts about the day's games 📆 Last matchday of the season 🔥Winners will be: _______ ✍️ 📺 Watch on https://t.co/AK2CFJBGE2🌍 Geoblocking restrictions may apply#ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/7rUPGJ7X7S FINALS PREVIEW: Two national derbies ahead as Danish sides clash for the title and two German opponents enter the fray for bronze Ikast Handbold and Neptunes de Nantes had a good day in the office in the first leg of the EHF European League Women quarter-finals Siófok KC and BV Borussia 09 Dortmund were almost helpless last week and must now try to make an impressive comeback Nykøbing Falster Håndbold will seek to overcome a three-goal deficit after a defeat in Romania to SCM Ramnicu Valcea But the tightest race is the one between Thüringer HC and Sola HK as both sides are trying to reach their first ever EHF Finals The EHF Finals Women draw will take place on Tuesday 28 March at 16:00 CEST in Graz and will be streamed live on the Home of Handball YouTube channel Ikast Handbold (DEN) vs Siófok KC (HUN) - first leg: 30:20Saturday 25 March, 20.00 CET, live on EHFTV Thüringer HC (GER) vs Sola HK (NOR) - first leg: 35:35Sunday 26 March, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) vs Neptunes de Nantes (FRA) - first leg: 19:28Sunday 26 March, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) - first leg: 29:32Sunday 26 March, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV Thüringer HC win their maiden international title in Graz, following an unbelievable victory against the 2023 champions Ikast Håndbold, and lift the EHF European League Women 2024/25 trophy on Sunday evening They are the second German club to conquer this title JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball celebrated after winning the bronze medal in a wonderful performance against HSG Blomberg-Lippe Our live blog covers the most important moments of the finals day in Graz We are closing a wonderful chapter of the 2024/25 season as the EHF European League Women has crowned its new champions in Graz — Thüringer HC celebrated the end of their impressive journey on the European stage But this is just the start of the best handball shows in Europe and three more final events await in the next two months The Maschinensucher EHF Finals 2025 are next on the schedule while the EHF Champions League will reach the culmination point in the summer for the women's competition — on 31 May and 1 June at the MVM Dome in Budapest — and for the men's side — on 14/15 June 2025 at the LANXESS arena in Cologne We hope you enjoyed the EHF Finals Women 2025 take care and stay close to the EHF competitions As we're getting ready to wrap up an amazing weekend in Graz Words are not enough to describe Thüringer's joy tonight but our photographers did a wonderful job capturing the celebrations We prepared the video highlights for you to relive the thrill of the final your new EHF European League Women champions A triple celebration is in order for Johanna Reichert as she lifts the trophy with Thüringer and receives two awards — for top scorer of the season with a tally of 110 goals since the group phase Talking about screens, this is a reminder that the matches are streamed live on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply) It is the sixth encounter overall between Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC and the Danish team won four times Ikast built a significant seven-goal advantage in the first 30 minutes (17:10) and despite THC's best efforts to turn the match around they only managed to narrow the gap to five in the end (31:26) Ingvild Bakkerud (eight goals) and Nathalie Hendrikse (10 goals) stole the spotlight by leading their sides in attack — and they are also in the squads this weekend.  Predicting the outcome of today's final is difficult but one thing is certain — we'll be glued to our screens Graz witnessed beautiful goals on the first day of the EHF Finals Women 2025 Two familiar rivals face off in the bronze medal match as HSG Blomberg-Lippe and JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball already met twice this season the German side were propelled to a victory by their top scorer Nieke Kühne Dijon counted on one of their stars as well but unfortunately it was not enough — Blomberg widened the one-goal gap at the break (18:17) and finished the match five goals ahead (35:30) Dijon had the upper hand at half-time on French soil (15:12) and the score remained close until the very last minute again — finally brought another victory on the German side.  They say the third time's the charm — can Dijon overcome the previous defeats and celebrate today We still have plenty of time left until the placement match throws off at 15:00 CEST so let's have a recap of yesterday's action EHF Finals debutants HSG Blomberg-Lippe and JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball had high hopes for Graz but were left disappointed after facing more experienced teams — Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC Blomberg were overwhelmed by the Danish side's power as they struggled to keep up with the former champions and failed to grab the lead throughout the semi-final Dijon managed to remain close to their opponents in the first 15 minutes but in the end Thüringer HC proved too strong and booked their seat for the final Check out the reviews of the semi-finals for more insights Four different teams from four countries conquered the title since the inauguration of the new competition format Ikast can become the only team that lifts the trophy twice while Thüringer have the chance to be the second German champions We will find out who adds their name to the wall of champions after the final at 18:00 CEST Johanna Reichert arrived in Graz as the top scorer of the competition with 81 goals on her tally since the start of the group phase she added 16 (!) more in a truly wonderful spectacle on court How many goals will she score in the final Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC met in the semi-final in Graz and the Danish side not only won that encounter but also lifted the trophy the following day or will THC find the strength to grab their maiden European title today EHF journalist Eric Willemsen gathered the most important facts regarding today's clashes for the medals — read the preview below How many will fill up the Raiffeisen Sportpark in Graz this afternoon in anticipation of a thrilling final between Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC the other hope to write history — but who will have the biggest smile at the end of the day HOW TO FOLLOW: The final tournament of the EHF European League takes place this upcoming weekend (3/4 May) The EHF Finals Women 2023 get underway on Saturday with two Danish-German semi-finals Can Ikast Handbold use the lessons of the last two EHF Finals to make it to the trophy match Will Thüringer HC or Nykøbing Falster Håndbold continue their march from the first qualification round to the final Join us for running coverage of the build-up to the semi-finals and all the action from the Raiffeisen Sportpark in Graz We'll be back tomorrow at 10:00 CEST with the build-up for the final and placement match - two national derbies Here are some quotes from that match - you can find all the reaction here That save will be remembered in Nykøbing 😳#ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/qAhURg4rCi U N B E L I E V A B L E 🤭🔥#ehfel #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/YMPCX7tn2n catch up on the drama with our match review SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: Cecilie Greve secures an all-Danish final after crucial penalty saves Yara ten Holte had a good day and it was her save which gave us the penalty shootout YARA TEN HOLTE BRINGS US TO THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT 🤯😱 #ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/2iNzEttjXc Alina Grijseels steps up - the captain needs to score but Cecilie Greve saves and Nykøbing will face fellow Danes Ikast in the final Marie Hélène Sajka scores and Greve stops Haruno Sasaki Mia Svele scores for Nykøbing; Anna-Lena Hausheer equalises Elma Halilcevic is stopped by Yara ten Holte and Dortmund have the edge It's 32:32 after a tense and drama-filled 10 minutes of extra time Yara ten Holte prevented a Nykøbing win by stopping an Elma Halilcevic fast break with seconds on the clock Play is a bit scrappy as the teams fight for every ball; shots going wide and mistakes being made But then a place in the final is on the line THAT goal that brought us in the extra time 😮😬#ehffinals pic.twitter.com/7R987G782v Extra time begins with Nykøbing in possession There will now be two five-minute periods of extra time with penalties if the result remains level after that Nykøbing are continuing to defend hard and it's paying off as they successfully prevent Dortmund from equalising using some fast counter attacks to equalise at 27:27 What a response from Dortmund to Nykøbing's fight They retook the lead and extended it to 27:24 in a 3:0 run of their own Jakob Larsen calls a timeout - his team have just under 10 minutes to come back once more And Nykøbing take the lead after a 6:0 run Dortmund equalise again almost straight away Nykøbing strengthen their defence and it pays off with two goals taking the score to 22:20 in Dortmund's favour Dortmund call a timeout in a bid to stop their opponents' run Alberte Kielstrup in full power 💪🚀 #ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/EDoBuspIfH it's still a four-goal difference between the two teams and not much to differentiate them in their performances either although Dortmund's defence is perhaps slightly stronger with more fast and physical play as Dortmund seek to extend their lead and Nykøbing try to close up again Two fans are playing a game with a seriously gigantic SELECT ball at the break for a goody bag prize The Nykøbing fan wins after the Dortmund fan nearly knocks over the delegates' table with the ball (don't worry Cecilie Greve 💥 Yara ten HolteYour call? 🤔 #ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/cWTbVw5p0F The first half ends with Dortmund just in control largely thanks to Yara ten Holte who's winning the goalkeeper duel Dortmund lead 13:9 after a couple of great Yara ten Holte saves and a solid period in attack Nykøbing are keeping the pressure on and make it 13:10 as Mia Svele scores a penalty We've just had a couple of excellent saves first from Cecilie Greve then Yara ten Holte - though the Dortmund keeper is having a better day so far After the timeout Dortmund score quickly to give themselves a two-goal lead for the first time Elma Halilcevic scores on a fast break; then Nykøbing concede a penalty which Anna-Lena Hausheer puts away Soon after Nykøbing lose the ball and Zöe Sprengers gives Dortmund their first lead of the game; it lasts all of 34 seconds The two sides are producing good defence and fast attacks and neither is yet able to establish any sort of control 🟡⚫️ Dana Bleckmann doinG Dana's things 🚀 LIVEBLOG: https://t.co/fkAYjx9PvX#ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/AiHnawq5Qz A few mistakes by both teams in these early stages Danish-German duel number two is underway and it's Nykøbing's Alberte Kielstrup who scores first quickly followed up by one for Dortmund from Dana Bleckmann Dortmund and Nykøbing are about to throw off but first here's some quotes from the previous semi-final it's the press conference - featuring Ikast coach Kasper Christensen and goalkeeper Jessica Ryde and Thüringer coach Herbert Müller and Austrian left wing Sonja Frey here's the match report from the first semi-final Dortmund and Nykøbing are warming up now for the second game SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: Jessica Ryde's top performance pushed Ikast to the final of the EHF Finals Women The lead they established in the first half was just too big and Jessica Ryde just too good for Thüringer to stop them Jessica Ryde is off court and Andrea Austmo has taken her place Emma Lindqvist is given a red card for a foul on Lydia Jakubisova - her hand was high and hit Jakubisova in the face But Ikast still lead by a comfortable margin There was a long period where Thüringer were just unable to score it does look like Ikast have finally made it to the final Here's Vilma Matthijs' great steal from earlier on Never think it's over till it actually is 😎 Well played Vilma Matthijs 👍 #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/Hd7aHt6SL3 It's been better from Thüringer but they've also missed a couple of easy shots and they've only scored 11 field goals - Nathalie Hendrikse has netted all six penalty shots Annika Lott makes it a three-goal game and in the process becomes the joint top scorer of the competition Nicole Roth is starting the 2nd half for Thüringer HC 🙌 and she definitely WANTS TO WIN that game 😱🔥 #ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/7WyMIqTRGl Thüringer are still trying their seven-on-six in attack and it just earned them a goal is currently on court; Jessica Ryde continues to do well at the other end for Ikast who score three goals in quick succession including an excellent steal by Vilma Matthijs Holmberg just now After their two previous semi-final losses Ikast clearly don't want to risk another A combination of fast attacking play and a stellar Jessica Ryde have given them a big half-time lead Sonja Frey scored the first couple of goals for Thüringer - good goals too A sneaky but very clever move from Sonja Frey 🫢😯 @ThueringerHC #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/dA4zkPq7xN Thüringer keep trying a seven-on-six attack but every time they turn over the ball Ikast are able to run and score into the empty net and Ikast's subsequent possession came to nothing Mistakes are costing both teams - Ikast have conceded three penalties and Thüringer two so far while Thüringer have had four two-minute suspensions which have allowed Ikast easy goals Jessica Ryde is also on seriously good form There's been lots of talk this season about how good the European League goalkeepers are and Jessica Ryde has been particularly effective 😳 We start this semi-final with a massive save from Jessica Ryde 🦄🇸🇪 #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/NBcz2cCCKp taking advantage of a period of power play to score a couple of times into Thüringer's empty goal It's looking good at the moment for the Danish team Thüringer's supporters are doing a great job at providing support with their band of drummers banging out a consistent rhythm from their corner Emma Friis has just scored Ikast's second seven-metre goal of the game to equalise at 4:4 We're five minutes in and it's a fast-paced game but not many goals have been scored - it's 2:1 to Thüringer Click this link for details of how you can watch the matches NEWS: A global audience will watch the final tournament of the EHF European League on Saturday and Sunday The first semi-final at 15:30 CEST between Ikast and Thüringer is Ikast's third appearance in a row at this stage of the European League but they were also unbeaten last year and still lost their semi-final where they fell 33:34 to eventual champions SG BBM Bieitigheim Their last European trophy was the Cup Winner's Cup in 2015 Thüringer did not play the European League last season but have been impressive since the first qualification round this year with left back Annika Lott on course to be the competition's top scorer - she's netted 56 goals so far just four behind current leader Iryna Glibko of SCM Ramnicu Valcea who is not in Graz So let's find out a bit more about the two matches ahead today which feature the four group phase winners Starting with the second semi-final at 18:00 CEST Both these sides started in the qualification rounds and both lost the first legs of their quarter-finals to qualify for the EHF Finals Dortmund came back from a nine-goal deficit against Nantes to take a 10-goal win at home; Nykøbing lost by three in Valcea but won by nine goals at home Dortmund have won one previous European trophy - the Challenge Cup in 2003 - while Nykøbing's best previous result in Europe is the semi-finals of the EHF Cup in 2016/17 The teams are arriving on court for their warm-up and the fans are starting to take their seats too We're less than an hour away from throw-off Earlier this week the finalists for the EHF Excellence Awards were named including several players on court in Graz: left wings Emma Friis (Ikast) and Elma Halilcevic (Nykøbing); left back Annika Lott of Thüringer; and Dortmund centre back Alina Grijseels and goalkeeper Yara ten Holte 👥 Player profile #15: Emma FriisIkast Håndbold won 24 out of 28 @ehfel_official games in the past three seasons but the EHF Finals have always been a tough moment for this team: could Emma Friis be a key player for winning the title this year? pic.twitter.com/6p9AThvrfs Fans are starting to arrive in the arena - a whole bus full of Thüringer supporters so we're guaranteed a good atmosphere in what is a great hall Over the next 90 minutes we'll preview the games ahead Dortmund have posted some pictures from training yesterday here at the Raiffeisen Sportpark the arena announcer is rehearsing the team announcements for the first semi-final throwing off now in less than two and a half hours Time to have a look at some of the teams' social media ahead of the games Here's Nykøbing on the hunt for supporters on the streets of Graz Another young player set to star later today is Mia Svele of Nykøbing Falster Håndbold She's spent three years in Nykøbing and is returning to Storhamar Handball Elite next season FEATURE: Young Norwegian centre back Mia Svele dreams of the finals at the end of her journey with Nykøbing here's the next in our series finding out how well players know each other - it's Thüringer's Josefine Huber and Nathalie Hendrikse 🇳🇱 𝑁𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑒 𝐻𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑘𝑠𝑒 𝑋 𝐽𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑟 🇦🇹 Can you smell 👃 the team spirit In Thüringer HC? 😂 #ehffinals #ehfel pic.twitter.com/rvpUFOiXSW and what she got out of being part of Respect Your Talent FEATURE: Respect Your Talent alumna Julie Scaglione hopes the third time is the charm for Ikast Fan support throughout the season is incredibly valued by the teams - just look at the 11,112 who turned out to cheer Dortmund in their last group phase match against Siófok So we gave the teams a chance to say thank you What would be handball without you? 😍 #ehffinals pic.twitter.com/gXKnHpBP1Z Time for a vote - let's see who you think will make it through to the final of the EHF European League Women 2022/23 Will we end up with another Danish-German showdown or is it going to be a national derby tomorrow At yesterday's media calls we caught up with some of the players including Dortmund duo Dana Bleckmann and Yara ten Holte But how well do they really know each other Click here to find out .. The weather is wet but that just makes it perfect for heading to an arena or settling down in front of the TV for some handball action We'll bring you all the build-up ahead of the first semi-final at 15:30 CEST and then regular match updates throughout the afternoon and evening as we discover the two teams who will play tomorrow for the EHF European League Women trophy great news: head to the arena nice and early to visit the fan zone which has loads of great activities to do that will test your handball skills If you can't be with us, make sure you're following all our social media channels - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and clips from the games NEWS: The dedicated fan zone at the Raiffeisen Sportpark in Graz promises to make the upcoming EHF Finals Women extra fun for all