Euro Cup Women: Trieste and Ethnikos maintain perfect starts in Group Stage
Ethnikos OFPF and Pallanuoto Trieste maintained their perfect starts to the women’s Euro Cup Group Stage as they both roared to home victories against Polar Bears and III Keruleti TVE respectively. Elsewhere, a strong start from ANC Glyfada iRepair saw them begin their campaign with a victory against newcomers Hapoel Yoqneam, and Zodiac CNAB secured their first points with a powerful away win at Grand Nancy AC.
2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Group Stage, Day 2
Saturday 29 November
Group A
Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) 15-8 Polar Bears (NED)
Group B
ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) 12-7 Hapoel Yoqneam (ISR)
Group C
Grand Nancy AC (FRA) 4-27 Zodiac CNAB (ESP)
Group D
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 18-12 III Keruleti TVE (HUN)
Group A
Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) 15-8 Polar Bears (NED)
Ethnikos OFPF took charge of Group A by overpowering Polar Bears 15-8 with a solid first-half display that saw them out of sight at 9-2.
With the score 3-2 early in the second quarter, the hosts produced a 7-0 rush, and the Dutch side could only watch as the Greeks opened up a 10-2 lead early in the third.
There was no way back for Polar Bears, who drew the second half 6-6, but the damage was done, and they returned to the Netherlands empty-handed.
Ethnikos again showed their attacking strength, with seven players on the scoresheet, three of them hitting hat-tricks – Eleni Kanetidou, Ariadni Karampetsou and Stamatina Kontogianni.
The victory sees Ethnikos top the group with maximum points, six clear of their rivals, Polar Bears and Lille UC, who face each other on Day 3 (13 December).
Group B
ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) 12-7 Hapoel Yoqneam (ISR)
ANC Glyfada iRepair, last season’s losing Euro Cup semi-finallists, began their new campaign with a commanding win over newcomers Hapoel Yoqneam.
A 6-0 opening blitz proved decisive, and Glyfada maintained control throughout. The scores were 8-2 at half-time, 11-5 after the third, and 12-7 at the final buzzer.
Hapoel cut the gap to four on three occasions (6-2, 8-4 and 9-5), but each time Glyfada responded expertly, never allowing their opponents to get any closer.
Captain Eleni Grigoropoulou and American Brooke Ochoa led the scoring for the Greeks with three goals apiece, while their British star Lily Turner and Vasiliki Laskaridou added two each.
Hapoel now face a tough road after back-to-back defeats and will need a big home win against BVSC in their next fixture to keep their hopes of progressing alive.
Group C
Grand Nancy AC (FRA) 4-27 Zodiac CNAB (ESP)
Zodiac CNAB swept Grand Nancy aside with a ruthless display, dominating all four quarters and killing the contest early with a 0-11 surge in the opening 13 minutes.
It was exactly the reaction coach Chus Martin would have wanted from his players after their narrow Day 1 loss away to Padova.
Brazil international Karen Da Silva finally got the hosts off the mark with 1:52 left in the second quarter, but by then CNAB were completely in control.
The Spaniards led 1-13 at half-time and 2-19 after the third, as they cruised to a comfortable victory.
Spanish 2024 Olympic champion Paula Leiton was outstanding, hitting five goals, as did her team-mates Clara Diaz and Alejandra Aznar.
The emphatic result leaves CNAB with one foot in the quarter-finals, as Grand Nancy now need a miracle in each of their remaining three fixtures if they are to have any chance of challenging for a top-two finish.
Group D
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 18-12 III Keruleti TVE (HUN)
After scoring five away at Catalunya on Day 1, Pallanuoto Trieste’s Morgan McDowall continued her fine form with six goals at home against III Keruleti TVE on Day 2.
The New Zealand star inspired her team to a second successive victory, leaving the Italians well-placed in Group D with two fixtures remaining.
Trieste – Euro Cup runners-up in the past two seasons – got off to a brilliant start, with McDowall and captain Lucrezia Cergol each striking twice and Malia Allen adding one to put the hosts 5-2 ahead at the first break.
Kerulet were forced to chase the game, and although they got within two (5-3) early in the second quarter, they started to slowly drift further behind.
By half-time they trailed 10-4, and although they battled back to 15-12 early in the fourth, Trieste put their foot back on the gas, finishing with a three-goal burst – including two from McDowall – to seal another deserved win.
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
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