Ikast chased their eighth European trophy, and looked on course to repeat their European League triumph from 2023, but saw a substantial early lead disappear after the break in a match where THC’s Austrian left back Johanna Reichert scored no less than 13 goals in the final to raise her season tally to 110 goals from the start of the group phase
In her last international match, goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle was instrumental for THC with several stunning saves and passes. Ikast lost line player Maria Lykkegaard due to a direct red card four minutes into the second half after her hand hit Natsuki Aizawa in the face and this weakened the Danish defense severely for the rest of the match.
With 17 minutes left on the clock, THC went back in the lead for the first time since the 1-0 when Reichert made it 25-24.
Defensive lapses of concentration and lack of saves from the keepers was clinically punished by the ruthless Germans and a superp performance from German keeper Eckerle denied Ikast their final chance to keep their title hopes alive, as THC closed the match 34-32 in a dramatic finish to the match.