Maccabi Holon Eliminated From European Cup After Penalty Shootout Loss

Maccabi "Yuvalim" Holon's women's handball team has been eliminated from the European Cup after a dramatic second-round playoff match against Belye of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian team won the second leg 31:29, leveling the aggregate score at 63:63 after Holon had won the first match 34:32. Belye secured their advancement by winning the penalty shootout 4:3.

Despite trailing significantly at various points in the game, Holon demonstrated resilience and fought back. Belye initially took a 3:0 lead, but Holon players like Lina Issakov and Shira Moreno worked to close the gap. The Bulgarian team managed to build a five-goal lead in the first half, and Holon went into halftime trailing by five goals.

In the second half, Holon continued to battle, reducing the deficit to as little as two goals, with contributions from Liran Zaguri, Noam Krief, and Shira Moreno. However, Belye consistently extended their lead again. In the final minutes, Holon, led by Evandra Geraldo and Issakov, narrowed the score to three goals, and Zaguri scored in the last minute to make it 31:29, forcing the penalty shootout.

Liran Zaguri was the top scorer for Holon with 9 goals, followed by Evandra Geraldo with 6, and Lina Issakov and Noam Krief with 5 each. Goalkeepers Paulina Bazlauda made 7 saves (18% success rate) and Noam Ben Hamo made 3 saves (42% success rate).

Key scorers for Holon included Liran Zaguri (9), Evandra Geraldo (6), Lina Issakov (5), Noam Krief (5), Shira Moreno (3), Vicky Opergo (2), the player (1), and Michelle Bohtiarov (1). Goaltenders Paulina Bazlauda recorded 7 saves at an 18% success rate, and Noam Ben Hamo had 3 saves at a 42% success rate.