EHL Women’s FINAL4: Club de Campo 1 (C Cano) Der Club an der Alster 1 (L Altenburg), Campo win shoot-out 4-3
Club de Campo became the first side to reach the EHL Women’s GRAND FINAL as they held their nerve to see off Germany’s Der Club an der Alster at the Wagener Stadium.
Normal time ended 1-1 with close-range corner goals from Carmen Cano – in the third quarter – and a Lisa Altenburg effort with just over a minute to go sending the game to shoot-out.
The Spanish side made the early running with Maria Lopez’s powerful corner shot in the third minute drawing a brilliant tip around the corner by Amy Gibson.
At the far end, Altenburg served notice of her attacking intent with driving runs down the right flank while Carlotta Sippel went closest with a drag-flick that was deflected inches wide.
And so it remained locked at 0-0 in an end-to-end first half. The tempo upped and Altenburg came within centimetres of breaking the deadlock, a brilliant run and flick that clattered off the front of the crossbar.
But it was Campo who hit the front in the 43rd minute from their second penalty corner when Lopez delivered the perfect sweep shot into the path of Cano who chipped the ball over goalkeeper Amy Gibson.
The Spanish champions tried to dig in after that but Alster puled on the pressure in the closing stages, winning a series of penalty corners.
And they eventually got back on terms with 69 seconds left on the clock when Sippel’s corner shot was brilliant saved by Maria Ruiz but fell for Altenburg and her shot just about slipped under the goalkeeper and over the line.
It led to a shoot-out where the first seven efforts were all scored, Bea Perez providing an outstanding rocket to the top corner with the pick of them as they built a 4-3 lead.
Felicia Wiedermann did find the net for Alster’s fourth shoot-out but a video review deemed her effort to have been back-stick and so it was ruled out.
It gave Campo the edge and while Gibson denied Alicia Magaz in the next round, Ruiz stood tall to block Viki Huse and, after a video review, their victory was confirmed.