Tight crane for the Junior girls | håndball.no
After a draw against Sweden and a loss against Denmark, it was ready for the last match in the Scandinavian Open tournament for Norway on Sunday morning. The Netherlands was on the opposite half of the field.
It was the Netherlands who started best in the KIFAB arena on Sunday morning. There was little goal at the start of the match, and it took a full 10 minutes before Norway put the first ball behind the Dutch goalkeeper. The score was then 3-1 in the Netherlands’ favor. It was the oranges who had the initiative in the beginning, and were always a notch ahead of the Norwegian girls. Norway was well behind in defense, but struggled to score goals at the other end of the field. Thus, the Netherlands was ahead 7-2 after half played the first half. Norway switched around the crew in the hope of scoring more goals, which proved to be successful. However, it did not help that the Netherlands also put their chances on the other half of the field. Maja Furu Sæteren took responsibility for Norway and had set 3 of 4 goals after 20 minutes, when the score was 4-10. Norway changed defensive formation to 5-1 defense, and Martine Andersen came in ten minutes before the end and showed up. Norway thus went to a break at the position 12-17 after a good end to the round.
Jenny Sofie Sundt Utne stood well when she got the chance in the Norwegian goal. Photo: EHF
Norway continued the offensive defensive game also in the second half, and it was the white-clad who put the first ball in goal. Maja Furu Sæteren continued to play great even after the break, and was nine-goal scorer already after 37 minutes, when the score was 16-19. After 40 minutes, Norway had brought in large parts of the Dutch lead, and was only one goal behind. One minute later, Norway equalized to 21-21, and after halfway through the second half, the Norwegian girls took the lead for the first time in the match. Norway’s goalkeeper Jenny Sofie Sundt Utne did well when she got the opportunity between the posts in the second half, but also the Dutch goalkeeper did well and made it difficult for Norway in the final minutes. Ten minutes before the end, the teams were again equal, and the same five minutes later. 30 seconds before the end, the Netherlands went up in a one-goal lead that they held for the rest of the match. The Netherlands thus won 30-29 over a Norwegian team that recovered strongly in the match after a difficult start.
Now the World Cup for the Junior Girls in Slovenia awaits from June 20 to July 4.
MATCH FACTS
Norway – Netherlands 29-30 (12-17)
KIFAB Arena, Kalmar, Sweden
Norway’s team and goal score: Maja Furu Sæteren – 11, Martine Andersen – 5, Rikke Midtfjeld – 4, Frida Brandbu Andersen – 3, Henriette Eggen – 2, Kaja Røhne – 2, Susanne Liberg Amundsen, Celina Vatne, Avril Mikkelsen Frei, Johanne Halset Nypan, Maria Bergslien Gald , June Cecilie Krogh, Johanna Fossum, Jenny Sofie Sundt Utne
Dutch top scorer: Kim Molenaar – 13 goals
Expulsions: Norway 4×2 minutes, Netherlands 2×2 minutes