Dramatic defeat for the promoted team: TSV Altenholz loses 32:33 against Nord Harrislee

Old wood. Fought, gambled, cried! The newly promoted team in the Third Handball Bundesliga made a thrilling debut in the new league. In a hard-fought match, TSV Altenholz had league favorites TSV Nord Harrislee on the verge of defeat in front of a packed grandstand in the Edgar-Meschkat-Halle. But five seconds before the end, the chance for a sensation burst. Instead of cheering, there were tears – after a match that TSVA lost 32:33 (15:16), but in which they would have deserved at least a draw.

The score is 32:32, TSV Altenholz is on the attack and there are 29 seconds left on the clock. It is the moment when Henning Berger is betting everything on victory – and losing. The TSVA coach reaches for the green card, takes a time-out and orders his women to come to him. His team has fought hard for almost 60 minutes, coming back after every run by the guests from the north, gaining advantages in the final phase. Now it is time for the players to reward themselves. One more attack, one goal – that would be it. Berger sends seven field players onto the court.

Five seconds before the final whistle, the game turns

But the plan goes wrong and the ball is lost. Suddenly luck changes. The guests make a run for a fast counterattack towards the empty goal. With physical effort in the centre circle, the Altenholz team slows down the Harrisleeer attack and immediately receives the whistle: seven-metre throw – goal – out – defeat.

“I gambled that away. I thought we could win the game. “It would be bitter if we were missing these points at the end of the season,” said the coach after the final whistle, taking the defeat on his shoulders. But he can also be proud of his team's third division debut in the 2024/25 season. “I accept the praise for a great game.” It was great how the team presented themselves here, how they acted as a team throughout the game. The players wanted to play their handball and show themselves in the third division. They did that. It was great that so many spectators were there too. We hope that they will come back after this game.”

60 minutes on equal terms with the league favourite

The Altenholz team were on an equal footing with the established Harrislee team from the start. The guests were only able to briefly pull ahead in a few moments. In the middle of the first half, for example, when the Altenholz team were two men down and conceded four goals in a row to make it 8:11 (16th minute). Or at the start of the second half, when they again had to play with five against seven and were behind 17:20 (34th minute).

But thanks to a strong goalkeeping performance by Julia Weidmann, who saved 16 balls during the game, the hosts kept finding their way back into the game. Things seemed to be getting critical in the 41st minute. Harrislee's Tabea Schleemann spectacularly rushed over Maria Ranft's leg into the six-meter area and impressed the referees with her forward roll so much that they showed the Altenholz player a red card.

But even this weakening did not slow down the hosts. They came back again and even took the lead 29:28 in the 54th minute. And when they were able to score again and again from then on, their confidence grew that they could pull off a surprise – until their dream of victory or at least a draw was suddenly shattered in the final seconds.

TSV Altenholz: Weidmann (1st-60th minute, 16 saves), Glaser (on seven-meter throws) – Ranft 2, Weiß, Burmeister 1, Miegel 7, Seidel 1, Lorenzen, Lyke 4, Göttsch, Thielmann 1, Kautz 5, Steingräber 6, Kreft 5/1, Fehrke.

CN