HC Dragūnas Klaipėda power past Mistra with convincing 34–26 home win

February 22, 2026

HC Dragūnas Klaipėda delivered a strong and controlled performance on Sunday afternoon, defeating Mistra 34–26 in the Baltic Handball League. Building on a narrow 16–13 halftime lead, the Lithuanian side pulled away decisively in the second half to secure back-to-back wins over their Estonian rivals, following a similar 34–32 victory in December.

The match started at a high tempo, with Mistra striking first and briefly holding the initiative in the opening minutes. However, Dragūnas quickly settled, responding through Lukas Juškenas and Paulius Čėsna to regain control. After an early exchange of goals, the home team began to impose their rhythm, using quick transitions and efficient seven-meter shooting to edge ahead.

Midway through the first half, Dragūnas created separation with a strong spell that saw goals from Deividas Virbauskas, Daniil Plakhotin and Matas Kairys. Mistra stayed in touch through Karl Roosna and Anton Barouski, but missed chances – including a late penalty – allowed the hosts to go into the break with a three-goal advantage at 16–13.

The second half proved decisive. Dragūnas opened with renewed intensity, stretching the lead to five and then seven goals as Juškenas, Plakhotin and Karolis Stropus found the net in quick succession. The turning point came between the 40th and 45th minutes, when Dragūnas went on a 5–0 run to turn a manageable lead into a commanding one, effectively putting the contest beyond doubt.

Despite a spirited effort from Mistra, led by Markus Arik and Karl Roosna, the visitors were unable to stem the flow. Dragūnas continued to rotate effectively, with Vasyl Havryliuk finishing with a perfect four goals from four attempts and Virbauskas converting five of his seven-meter throws to underline the hosts’ efficiency.

Top performers

• HC Dragūnas Klaipėda:
  Lukas Juškenas was the standout scorer with 7 goals, supported by Deividas Virbauskas (7 goals, 3/4 from seven meters), Daniil Plakhotin (3 goals) and Vasyl Havryliuk (4 goals from 4 shots).
• Mistra:
  Markus Arik led the visitors with 6 goals, while Karl Roosna (5 goals) and Anton Barouski (4 goals) provided additional attacking threat.