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HC ALKALOID – HC BAIA MARE 32-25 (18-12)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Mads Fremstad and Jorgen Jorstad from Norway. Delegate: Branka Maric from Serbia.

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj, Galevski 2 (9 saves), Djonov, Petrov, Markoski, Kosteski 1, Mladenovikj 1, Serafimov 3, Stojkovikj 5, Gjorgiev 4, Velkovski 1, Ivanovski 2, Bingo, Francisco 4, Petkovski 7, Savrevski

Seven-meter throws: 4/5 Suspensions: 10 min.

HC BAIA MARE: Al-Khafadji, Terekhov, Nagy 1, Chis, Botea, Rakolta 1, Kumpanici 8, Dalin 3, Kotrc 1, Sinku, Kozakevych 4, Burzak 1, A. Pop 1, E. Pop, Da Silva 4, Fotache 1

Seven-meter throws: 2/3 Suspensions: 10 min.

HC Alkaloid has secured a spot in the semifinals of the EHF European Cup, marking another remarkable milestone in the club’s history. In the quarterfinals, they eliminated the Romanian side Baia Mare to advance in the competition, and they will now face Norwegian team Runar Sandefjord.

The Avtokomanda arena was packed as the home crowd paid tribute to the victims of the Kochani tragedy before showing their support for the HC Alkaloid squad. The team set the tone early by opening the match strongly, securing a 4-0 advantage before the visitors’ coach even called a timeout.

Strong defensive play helped the blue-white squad push their lead to 6-2 by the 10th minute, and further to 7-2 in the 11th.

HC Alkaloid maintained control of the game, steadily increasing their lead, with Martin Serafimov extending the gap to six goals. During this period, the Romanians attempted a 7-on-6 play; however, goalkeeper Ivan Galevski capitalized on the situation with two consecutive empty-net goals to preserve Alkaloid’s advantage.

The defense continued to excel, and by the 17:10 mark, a counterattack goal from Martin Ivanovski further solidified their performance, leading to an 18-12 score at halftime.

In the second half, both sides exchanged goals, but Alkaloid maintained a lead of six to seven goals. The defense played a key role, and by the 35th minute, HC Alkaloid had built an eight-goal advantage (23-15), marking the first time they led by such a margin.

In the 38th minute, following a lengthy pause, Nikola Kosteski returned to the court and scored a penalty, pushing the score to 24-16.

As the game progressed, time favored HC Alkaloid. By the 53rd minute, the score reached 29-22, intensifying the pressure on the opponents who were forced to quicken their pace and take risks.

Gjorgiev added another goal in the 55th minute to make it 30-22, effectively sealing the outcome. With little left for the visitors in the final minutes, HC Alkaloid closed the match at 32-25, earning their rightful place in the semifinals.