Hard-Fought Victory Earns TENAX Dobele Baltic Handball League Bronze

April 16, 2025

In a hard-fought and high-tempo clash for the bronze medal in the 2024/2025 Baltic Handball League, Latvian powerhouse ZRHK TENAX Dobele edged out Estonian side Viljandi HC with a narrow 24:22 victory in Klaipėda. The win secured third place in the tournament and brought the curtain down on an intense campaign for both clubs.

Match Summary

The showdown began with intensity from the first whistle, as both teams were eager to claim a podium finish. The early exchanges saw Viljandi’s star shooter Hendrik Koks and Dobele’s sharp finisher Ņikita Pančenko trade goals. Despite Viljandi briefly leading in the early minutes, Dobele’s clinical finishing and solid defensive coordination turned the tide by halftime, going into the break with a 12–9 advantage.

Viljandi made a strong push in the second half, cutting the deficit multiple times with spirited plays and accurate penalty conversions. However, Dobele held their nerve, thanks to composed leadership from Pančenko and key goals from Ričards Juzups and Nils Kreicbergs, eventually sealing the victory and the bronze medal.

Key Moments

• Early Momentum Shifts: After a missed penalty from Viljandi’s Jaan-Paul Varik in the second minute, the teams exchanged goals in a back-and-forth first 10 minutes, highlighted by Koks’ early accuracy and Dobele’s rapid counter-attacks.
• Mid-First Half Breakaway: ZRHK TENAX Dobele capitalized on Viljandi suspensions and turnovers to go on a 3–0 scoring run, shifting the game’s momentum before halftime.
• Second-Half Surge: Viljandi fought back valiantly in the second half, narrowing the gap to just three goals at 18–21 around the 42-minute mark, driven by Koks’ precision from the seven-meter line.
• Closing Composure: Dobele maintained discipline in the final 10 minutes, with Pančenko’s 8th goal (a perfect 2/2 from 7m) proving decisive as they controlled possession to run down the clock.

Top Performers

ZRHK TENAX Dobele

• 🏅 Ņikita Pančenko: 8 goals (2/2 from 7m) – Relentless on offense and calm under pressure.
• 🏅 Ričards Juzups: 3 goals – Back-to-back strikes in the second half gave Dobele crucial breathing room.
• 🏅 Kristers Plūme: 3 goals and solid two-way play before earning a 2-minute suspension late in the first half.

Viljandi HC

• ⭐ Hendrik Koks: 10 goals (6/6 from 7m) – The game’s top scorer, consistently leading the charge for Viljandi.
• ⭐ Andrii Basarab: 5 goals – Provided creative attacking support and broke through tight spaces.
• ⭐ Kristo Voika & Simon Drõgin: 2 goals each – Important contributors during Viljandi’s comeback attempts.