Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I (Kutaisi, Georgia)

HK Zelina took a big step toward a place in the final with back-to-back wins on Saturday at women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I in Kutaisi.

They lead the way overnight but hosts Ukimerioni and Denmark’s Copenhagen are both very much in the mix going into the final set of group games on Sunday morning.

Zelina got their second win of the competition to begin day two in Kutaisi with a 3-0 win over KPH Rača. Lucija Buzjak got them on the board before half-time and Lucija Nizek and Magdalena Buzjak added a third late on.

Hosts Ukimerioni Kutaisi became the third side to move onto 10 points when they won a lively battle with Trondheim LHK 4-2. Gabrielė Jakunčikovaitė put the Norwegians one up in Q1 but the Georgian club got the next four goals to turn things around with Sude Nur Kurt, Sila Çelebi, Viktoriia Ziakun and Nilay Özturk getting goals.

Jakunčikovaitė did get one back for a losing bonus point late in the contest.

In the evening session, KPH Rača left it late before recording their first win of the competition, a 4-1 win over Trondheim which means the Norwegian side will finish in fifth place overall.

After a scoreless first half, Lenka Horáčková nudged the Slovaks in front in Q3 and she added to an effort from Karolina Vyskočová to make the lead 3-0 with seven minutes to go.

Jordan Hardacre halved the gap a minute later but Vyskočová assured Rača of the win and a spot in the third place playoff game on Sunday.

At the top of the table, Zelina scored in the closing seconds through Lucija Buzjak to snatch a 2-1 win over Copenhagen to take a big step toward a final appearance.

Buzjak had opened the scoring four minutes in and it stayed that way until Q3 when the Croatians were down to five players, Laura Kristiansen equalising.