HC Dragunas Klaipėda complete dominant quarter-final job and advance to BHL Final 4

March 28, 2026

HC Dragunas Klaipėda completed an emphatic Baltic Handball League quarter-final performance on Saturday, defeating ASK/MSĢ 47:42 in the second leg to secure their place in the BHL Final 4.

After already winning the first leg in Riga 41:30, Dragunas finished the job in front of their home crowd with another high-scoring victory, advancing by a commanding 88:72 aggregate score. The Lithuanian side will now head to the Final 4 in Põlva on April 11–12.

ASK/MSĢ start aggressively, but Dragunas turn the game

Despite the large first-leg deficit, ASK/MSĢ came out with energy and put Dragunas under early pressure. The visitors moved into a 10:6 lead inside the opening 11 minutes, with Valdis Kalniņš setting the tone in attack and support coming from Justs Vidzis and Krists Vidzis.

That proved to be the strongest spell for the Latvian side, but Dragunas reacted well after an early timeout at 5:8. The home team quickly settled, began to punish ASK/MSĢ mistakes, and gradually swung the momentum back their way.

Led by Deividas Virbauskas, Dragunas erased the deficit and took over before halftime. Goals from Filip Hrnjak, Paulius Čėsna, Daniil Plakhotin and Artūras Budraitis helped the hosts turn a four-goal gap into a four-goal halftime advantage at 22:18.

Home side pull away in a goal-filled second half

The second half remained open and fast-paced, but Dragunas always looked in control of both the match and the overall tie. ASK/MSĢ continued to score regularly, yet every push was answered by the hosts.

Lukas Juškėnas was particularly influential after the break, while Vasyl Havryliuk added a series of important goals as Dragunas stretched their lead. When the home side moved from 33:28 to 38:31 and later from 42:38 to 47:40, the outcome was effectively beyond doubt.

ASK/MSĢ kept fighting until the final whistle and managed to trim the final margin to five goals, but Dragunas had long since secured their passage to the Final 4.

Top performers

Dragunas once again showed impressive attacking depth, with six players scoring at least five goals:

• Deividas Virbauskas led HC Dragunas Klaipėda with 9 goals, including 4/4 from seven meters
• Lukas Juškėnas scored 7 goals
• Vasyl Havryliuk added 7 goals
• Artūras Budraitis finished with 5 goals
• Paulius Čėsna scored 5 goals
• Daniil Plakhotin contributed 5 goals

For ASK/MSĢ, the main scorers were:

• Valdis Kalniņš with 10 goals
• Markuss Ikvils with 6 goals
• Gints Greikšs with 6 goals
• Krists Vidzis with 5 goals
• Kristiāns Ingus Jonuška with 4 goals
• Kristers Rihards Ozols with 4 goals

Key moments

Several stretches defined the second leg:

ASK/MSĢ made the stronger opening and built a 10:6 advantage, briefly threatening to make the game uncomfortable for the hosts.

Dragunas responded decisively after their timeout, flipping the scoreline and taking a 22:18 halftime lead, which removed any lingering suspense in the aggregate battle.

In the second half, Juškėnas, Havryliuk and Virbauskas kept the home side in front, while a powerful late run helped Dragunas open a seven-goal cushion at 47:40 before the visitors scored the last two goals of the match.

Final 4 place confirmed

By winning both legs of the quarter-final, HC Dragunas Klaipėda underlined their status as one of the strongest teams left in the competition. The 47:42 second-leg victory, added to the 41:30 first-leg win, sent Dragunas through to the Baltic Handball League Final 4 in convincing style.

They now join the growing Final 4 field for the season-ending tournament in Põlva on April 11–12.