ASK/MSĢ unable to stop Dragunas Klaipėda offensive surge

January 28, 2026

HC Dragunas Klaipėda delivered a commanding performance on the road, defeating ASK/MSĢ 38–25 in a Baltic Handball League matchup played on Tuesday evening. The Lithuanian side set the tone early and never relinquished control, leading 20–14 at halftime before extending the margin in the second half.

Match overview

From the opening minute, Dragunas showed their intent. Karolis Stropus opened the scoring inside the first minute, and despite an early missed seven-meter opportunity for ASK/MSĢ, the visitors quickly built momentum. ASK/MSĢ briefly stayed within reach through the scoring touch of Valdis Kalniņš, but a strong mid-half run by Dragunas — highlighted by goals from Paulius Čėsna and Deividas Virbauskas — pushed the score to 12–7 and forced an early timeout from the home bench.

By halftime, Dragunas had established a six-goal cushion (20–14), capitalizing on fast transitions, clinical seven-meter executions, and disciplined defense that limited ASK/MSĢ’s shooting efficiency.

Key moments

• Early pressure: Dragunas scored first and controlled the opening 10 minutes, setting the rhythm of the match.
• Mid-first-half surge: Consecutive goals by Čėsna and Virbauskas widened the gap and shifted momentum decisively.
• Second-half dominance: After ASK/MSĢ narrowed the score to 17–21 early in the second half, Dragunas responded with a decisive run, stretching the lead to double digits and effectively sealing the outcome.
• Late control: Even in the closing minutes, Dragunas maintained intensity, closing the match with three unanswered goals to reach 38.

Top performers

• ASK/MSĢ:
  Valdis Kalniņš was the standout for the home side, scoring 13 goals from 17 shots, carrying much of the offensive load. Sandis Vaškevičs added four goals, while Mārcis Drēviņš contributed three.
• HC Dragunas Klaipėda:
  A balanced attack powered the visitors. Deividas Virbauskas led the way with 7 goals, including two from the seven-meter line. Karolis Stropus and Karolis Stropus (6 goals) consistently broke through the defense, while Filip Hrnjak was perfect from the field with 4 goals from 4 shots. Lukas Juskenas also impressed, converting all of his attempts, including a successful penalty.

Context

The result mirrors the teams’ previous meeting earlier in the season, when Dragunas secured a 34–22 home victory over ASK/MSĢ. With this latest win, HC Dragunas Klaipėda further underlined their status as one of the league’s most consistent contenders, while ASK/MSĢ will look to regroup ahead of their upcoming fixtures.