The B16 class's Elite Group in the Partille World Cup is underway. In the very first match, Denmark claimed victory when Skanderborg HB defeated Önnereds HK 12–8 after resisting a strong comeback from ÖHK.

The B16 class commenced on Thursday with a Nordic meeting between Danish Skanderborg HB and Önnereds HK in Group 2. And it was Skanderborg that got off to the best start.

Already in the first attack of the match, Önnered suffered both a penalty and a two-minute suspension. The Danes took advantage of the situation and took the lead, before shortly after receiving another penalty following a technical error in attack from Önnered. This time, however, Önnered's goalkeeper Jack Pettersson made a sharp save.

Despite this, Skanderborg had a clear grip on the beginning. Lucas Holst showcased his speed in counterattacks early on and created significant problems for Önnered's defense. The home team's first goal came from Wille Cromdal, who reduced the score to 1–3 with a nice breakthrough. Shortly after, Hugo Berling made the audience wake up with a lovely spin shot to make it 2–3, but Önnered struggled to find continuity in their offensive play.

At the same time, Pettersson continued to keep his team in the match with several qualified saves. However, Skanderborg was more effective when opportunities arose and managed to stretch their lead to 6–3 before halftime.

Dream start to the second half for Önnered
After the break, the match dynamics changed. Önnered came out with significantly more energy and scored two quick goals. When Cromdal then equalized at 6–6 after yet another important shot, the home team appeared to have seized control of the momentum. But then came the next setback.

Önnered received their third suspension of the match, but despite being a player down, Pettersson kept his team in the game with yet another crucial save. Instead, it was Skanderborg's tall back player Silas Bang who stepped up.

Bang scored both 7–6 and 8–6 before yet another suspension, the fourth for Önnered, gave the Danes the opportunity to decide the match. Once again, Pettersson saved a clear chance, but when Önnered then also incurred a fifth suspension, after a player failed to release the ball in the correct place after being whistled, the uphill battle became too steep. Silas Bang scored both 10–7 and 11–7, and Skanderborg ultimately won the opener 12–8.

Follow B16 here

This article is a collaboration with Handbollskanalen.