LIGA MEN WIN AGAIN AFTER AN IMPRESSIVE FIGHT!
Photo: Jens Ørgaard Jensen
HØJ Elite – Sønderjyske 32-30 (17-16)
The Liga men kept their impressive run going and are now up to five wins in their last six games.
That's the tally after Saturday's battle at Ølstykke-Hallen, where Sønderjyske came to visit with Frederik Tilsted leading the way.
The game was tight from the start, but the visitors carved out the first small gap when Gabriel Setterblom netted one of his six goals to put Sønderjyske 7-4 ahead after just under 12 minutes.
That didn't rattle the HØJ Elite men, though, and just a few minutes later they leveled it at 7-7 when an excellent Tobias Nielsen calmly finished from the wing.
The rest of the half stayed tight, though with HØJ Elite holding a slight edge and a series of shifting leads of one and two goals.
The scoreboard read 17-16 at the break – in quite the men's battle, which is exactly how it would stay for the remainder of the contest.
Sønderjyske came out of the locker room strongest and pushed ahead 19-18 and 20-19, but after that the visitors wouldn't lead again.
After 15 minutes of the second half it was now HØJ Elite's turn to pull away, when Simen Schønningsen hammered the ball into the net for 25-22.
And when Tobias Nielsen – the player of the match – made it 27-23 just two minutes later, things were looking very promising for the home side.
But nothing was decided, as Sønderjyske fought on undeterred and soon leveled it at 27-27.
There was drama right to the end at Ølstykke-Hallen, but with great morale and a big fight our heroes once again pulled away in the closing stages and secured a fine 32-30 win over a strong, hard-fighting Sønderjyske side.
There were several bright spots in the HØJ Elite squad. Young Mikkel Olsen put in a formidable shift, while Till Klimpke continued his outstanding form in goal.
On top of that, Michael Damgaard was once again in a scoring mood, this time with 9 goals, while both Tobias Nielsen and Hampus Wanne shone from the wings.
Last but not least, we can't overlook Simen Schønningsen, who fought and battled as always, while Niclas Fingren's form continues to climb steeply in defense. Impressive stuff from our seasoned Swede.
The newest member of the HØJ family, Andreas Nielsen, also delivered the moment of the day in a slick bit of teamwork with our "architect" Linus Arnesson. Check out the great play on HØJ Elite's Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The next task for the HØJ Elite men comes already this Thursday, when they travel to Ribe/Esbjerg.
HØJ Elite – Togetherness and Community in a Class of Its Own.
