After three games without a win, Thüringer HC's women's handball team has once again had a taste of success in the German league. The team of Head Coach Herbert Müller narrowly defeated HSG Bensheim/Auerbach 36:35 (20:18) in front of a home crowd. Johanna Reichert scored the acclaimed winning goal with three seconds remaining.
The league's top scorer also became the THC's best scorer with ten goals in front of 1,047 spectators, as the club is now fourth in the table with 23:9 points after its sixth home win of the season. National player Nina Engel stood out for the visitors with 13 goals.
Guests keep up well right from the start
Four days after the surprising 26:29 defeat at penultimate-placed Neckarsulm, the Thuringians impressed from the outset with their fast-paced and variable attacking play. After a high-scoring opening spell, the THC then adjusted better to Bensheim's fast center and increasingly forced the visitors into positional attacks. The Thuringians pulled 11:7 ahead in this phase (14th minute). However, Bensheim immediately exploited a brief period of weakness by the home side to claw its way back into contention. The two teams traded blows until the break.
In the second half, goalkeeper Christina Lövgren Hallberg became an important factor in the THC's play. With her saves, she played a big part in enabling the Thuringians to pull 26:22 ahead in the 40th minute. However, Bensheim did not allow anything to make a lasting impression and remained extremely dangerous with its quick transition play. Engel equalized for the first time in the second half with 23 seconds remaining. But the last action belonged to Reichert. She scored brilliantly from the back to win the game.
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