Late Drama Sees HC Dragunas Klaipėda Edge VHC Šviesa in Thriller

January 24, 2026

VHC Šviesa suffered a narrow and heartbreaking 26:27 defeat against HC Dragunas Klaipėda in a gripping Baltic Handball League encounter on Saturday afternoon, as the visitors once again proved just a touch sharper in the decisive moments.

Coming into the match, both teams were well aware of their recent history – just two months ago, Dragunas had claimed a dramatic 38:37 win at home. This rematch followed a strikingly similar script, with intensity high from the opening whistle and the outcome undecided until the final seconds.

Match Summary

• Final Score: VHC Šviesa 26 – 27 HC Dragunas Klaipėda
• Half-time: 13 – 16
• Competition: Baltic Handball League
• Date: 24 January 2026

HC Dragunas Klaipėda started slightly stronger, capitalizing on early missed chances by the home side to take a 5:7 lead after nine minutes. Šviesa responded through sharp finishing by Matas Aukštikalnis and a series of calm seven-meter conversions from Mykolas Lapiniauskas, briefly taking the lead at 8:7 midway through the first half.

However, Dragunas regained control before the break, with Paulius Čėsna and Matas Kairys driving the visitors to a 13:16 halftime advantage.

Key Moments

The second half delivered end-to-end drama. Šviesa showed resilience, fighting back from multiple two-goal deficits to level the score several times, most notably at 16:16 and again at 20:20. Lapiniauskas continued his flawless performance from the penalty line, while Domantas Ivanauskas and Rapolas Valadka kept the home crowd believing.

In the final ten minutes, Lukas Juškėnas emerged as the decisive figure for Dragunas, scoring crucial goals including the late strike that made it 24:27. Šviesa mounted one last push, with Ivanauskas reducing the gap to a single goal at 26:27 in the final minute, but time ultimately ran out on the comeback.

Top Performers

VHC Šviesa

• Mykolas Lapiniauskas: 8 goals (5/5 from seven meters), constant offensive threat
• Matas Aukštikalnis: 6 goals, led Šviesa’s open-play scoring
• Domantas Ivanauskas: 5 goals, including the final goal of the match

HC Dragunas Klaipėda

• Matas Kairys: 3 goals, important momentum swings
• Lukas Juškėnas: 6 goals, including key late finishes
• Paulius Čėsna: 5 goals, influential in both halves