The opening night of the 2022 Sardinia Cup featured some exciting action, with two particularly close games this evening at the Sassari Swimming Complex.
Spain had to come from behind in the last quarter to beat the Netherlands 8-7. Trailing 7-5 with four minutes to go in the contest, scores from three Sabadell players; Maica Garcia, Elena Ruiz and Irene Gonzalez, completed the comeback for Miki Oca’s side. Kitty Joustra scored twice in the game for the Dutch.
After, there was an exciting bout between the hosts Italy and Greece, which ended honours even (10-10).
The hosts took a two score lead in the first (Roberta Bianconi and Chiara Tabani), but Carlo Silipo’s Setterosa then found themselves trailing, with Greece scoring five goals on the trot (E. Plevritou 2, M. Plevritou, Athina Giannopoulou, Fountontou).
The momentum then swung the way of the Setterosa, and they got back on level terms with some double scoring inspiration from Roberta Biaconi, before Claudia Marletta (Ekipe Orizzonte) and Domitilla Picozzi (SIS Roma) restored the two goal advantage for the hosts. But Alexia Kammenou’s Greek team didn’t give up and fought back to then take a 9-8 lead via Eirini Ninou’s second goal of the game, and then a tidy score from Athina Giannopoulou.
Following the chaotic nature of the game, Italy then scored twice to lead once more, but Olympiacos’ Maria Myriokefalitaki’s goal, with a minute to go, cancelled out the prior conversions put away by Lucrezia Cergol and Claudia Marletta.
In the first game of the day, Hungary beat Israel by ten scores, with UVSE’s Kamilla Farago bagging a quad. A debutant, also hailing from Alfred Hajos, was Kinga Peresztegi-Nagy – who had a senior international debut to remember, scoring three times.
Israel’s Maria Bogachenko scored four (three in the second period) in the match, but it meant very little with regards to the result in a game where there was only ever going to be one winner in the match.
Netherland 7-8 Spain (2-3, 2-1, 2-1, 1-3)
Netherlands: L. Aarts, S. Van der Sloot 1, M. Keuning, S. Van de Kraats, B. Rogge 1, V. Sevenich 1, K. Joustra 2, R. Voorvelt 1, M. Koopman, N. Ten Broek 1, F. Bosveld, M. Van der Weijden, B. Van de Dobbelsteen
Spain: L. Ester, C. Nogue 1, A. Espar 1, B. Ortiz 1, N. Perez, I. Gonzalez 1, E. Ruiz 2, M. Palacio, J. Forca, P. Camus, M. Garcia 1, P. Leiton, M. Terre
Italy 10-10 Greece (2-4, 0-1, 5-1, 3-4)
Italy: A. Condorelli, C. Tabani 1, L. Di Claudio, S. Avegno 1, L. Cergol 1, D. Bettini, D. Picozzi 1, R. Bianconi 3, V. Palmieri 1, C. Marletta 2, A. Cocchiere, G. Viacava, C. Banchelli, S. Cordovani, A. Repetto
Greece: I. Stamatopoulou, E. Plevritou 2, I. Chydirioti 1, E. Elliniadi, M. Plevritou 1, E. Xenaki, E. Ninou 2, M. Patra, F. Angelidi, V. Plevritou, A. Giannopoulou 2, M. Myriokefalitaki 1, E. Sotireli, E. Tsimara, E. Fountontou 1
Israel 8-18 Hungary (1-5, 4-5, 1-3, 2-5)
Israel: A. Peres, A. Yaacobi 2, Y. Farkash, M. Bogachenko 4, V. Kordonskaia, H. Futorian, S. Strugo 1, L. Ben David, D. Menakerman, N. Sasover 1, N. Hochberg, M. Lindhout, I. Geva, T. Levi, N. Markovsky
Hungary: A. Kiss, D. Szilagyi 2, T. Farkas 1, G. Gurisatti 2, B. Horvath 1, G. Mahieu 2, Z. Mate 1, K. Peresztegi-Nagy 3, D. Leimeter 1, N. Rybanska 1, K. Farago 4, D. Domsodi, N. Boglarka
Standings
- Hungary – 1 – 3pts
- Spain – 1 – 3pts
- Greece – 1 – 1pts
- Italy – 1 – 1pts
- Netherlands – 1 – 1pts
- Israel – 1 – 1pts
Tomorrow’s Fixtures
16:30 – Spain vs Israel
18:30 – Hungary vs Greece
20:00 – Netherlands vs Italy
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