The women's handball club Thüringer HC has taken another big step towards reaching the Final Four of the European League. The defending champions prevailed 31:27 (13:14) in the quarter-final first leg at Danish first-division club Nykobing Falster Handbold to put themselves in an excellent position for the second leg next Sunday. Johanna Reichert excelled for the THC with twelve goals.
The Thuringians were slow to get into the game and repeatedly failed to score against Nykobing's goalkeeper Anne Christine Bossen in the opening spell. The visitors developed more penetration from midway through the first half and took the lead for the first time (8:7) after a 4:0 run. However, coach Herbert Müller's team remained susceptible to quick counter-attacks. The Danes were just ahead at the break.
After the break, the home side made more technical mistakes. The THC played with much more control and was able to rely on the outstanding Reichert, who now took on more and more responsibility and put her team 27:23 in front by the 51st minute. The Thuringians also acted confidently in the final phase.
