The Netherlands finished the preliminary round on a high in front of a sold-out Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, with a dominating performance against Austria, 34:22.

GROUP E
Netherlands vs Austria 34:22 (14:12)

The first half of the final match of the preliminary round in Rotterdam quickly became a battle of the goalkeepers, as both Dutch shot stopper Yara ten Holte and Austria’s Lena Ivančok put on a stunner in the opening 30 minutes, hovering around a 40% saving efficiency.

Ivančok singlehandedly held Austria in the fight, with some absolutely marvellous one-on-one saves, which constantly frustrated wings Bo van Wetering and Kelly Vollebregt, keeping the Netherlands at a 52% shooting efficiency and a 47% attack efficiency.

While Austria did hold the lead only briefly, 3:2, in the fifth minute, they looked to be always close, always a thorn in the Netherlands’ side, always ready to pounce on the opportunities they created.

Wings Eleonora Stankovic – four goals from four shots – and Philomena Egger – two goals from three shots – helped Austria stay in the game, even in the toughest moments. At one point, the Netherlands went on a 5:0 unanswered run, taking the score to 14:9, when the match looked done and dusted.

But two quick goals at the restart from right wing Angela Malestein, both converted penalties, rekindled the Dutch side’s passion and fuelled the fans which made the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam sold out, providing yet again a three-goal cushion for the Netherlands, 16:13, in the start of the second half.

And then, the Netherlands’ superior depth and experience proved decisive. Missing Katarina Pandža and Johanna Reichert due to injuries really depleted Austria’s back line, and the Netherlands proved too strong, especially in defence, where a flurry of steals led to fast breaks.

Malestein, the hummel Player of the Match, finished the match as her team’s top scorer, with seven goals, as the Netherlands put brick after brick for the foundation of their win, providing a clear-cut win, as the gap grew to six goals, 21:15, after 39 minutes, and to eight goals, 25:17, after 45 minutes.

The game was decided on transitions, with Austria not scoring a goal until the 49th minute on fast breaks, while the Netherlands had nine, with the co-hosts finally unlocking their path towards Ivančok’s goal. Eventually, the Netherlands scored 13 goals on fast breaks, while Austria had none.

It proved to be a bittersweet return to the Netherlands for Monique Tijsterman, Austria’s coach, who led the Dutch side at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship, as her side eventually could not challenge the co-hosts, which jumped to a clear 34:22 win, their third in a row at Germany/Netherlands 2025.

The Netherlands confirmed their credentials as favourites in this group, finishing with maximum number of points, six, and heading into the main round with four points, after their wins against Austria and Argentina.

On the other hand, Austria’s challenge for a quarter-finals spot will be more difficult, with must-win matches against France, Poland and Tunisia coming for Monique Tijsterman’s side.

hummel Player of the Match: Angela Malestein (Netherlands)