HC Cocks Pull Away Late to Defeat Granitas-Karys 32–26

February 22, 2026

HC Cocks secured a convincing 32–26 away victory over Granitas-Karys on Sunday afternoon in the Baltic Handball League, pulling away in the final quarter after a tightly contested first half.

The opening 30 minutes delivered an intense back-and-forth battle. HC Cocks struck first through Teemu Tamminen from the seven-meter line, but Granitas-Karys quickly settled into the match, responding through Marius Kairys and Gytis Zadarnauskas. After early penalties on both sides, the hosts briefly took the lead midway through the half, powered by Ernestas Guogis, who scored repeatedly from open play. However, Tamminen’s flawless penalty shooting and timely goals from Roope Ahlgren and Miika Kaukoranta allowed HC Cocks to edge ahead, taking a narrow 15–14 lead into halftime.

The second half followed a similar pattern early on, with Granitas-Karys repeatedly closing the gap. Goals from Guogis, Zadarnauskas and Vilius Dirgėla kept the home side level as late as the 39th minute at 20–20. From that moment on, HC Cocks raised their tempo and efficiency. Tamminen once again proved decisive from seven meters, while Kaukoranta and Santeri Vainionpää converted crucial chances during Granitas-Karys suspensions.

Despite continued resistance from the hosts, including late goals by Benediktas Labutis and Dirgėla, HC Cocks gradually built a decisive advantage. A late scoring run capped by Tamminen’s eighth goal sealed the 32–26 final result.

Teemu Tamminen delivered a standout performance for HC Cocks, scoring a perfect 10 goals from 10 attempts, including 5 of 5 from the seven-meter line. He was well supported by Santeri Vainionpää with five goals and Miika Kaukoranta with four. For Granitas-Karys, Ernestas Guogis led the scoring with seven goals, while Benediktas Labutis added five and Gytis Zadarnauskas contributed four.

The victory marks HC Cocks’ second consecutive win over Granitas-Karys this season, following their narrow 29–28 home success in December.