The women from Nice came to put an end to Issy Paris Hand’s perfect run. The Parisians, ranked 2nd, who had lined up six consecutive victories until then, stumbled this Wednesday against OGC Nice, ranked 7th.
Their secret weapon for this match? An exemplary defense. And they didn’t hold back. The Nice wall was almost impassable, not to mention the presence of Cléopâtre Darleux who asserted herself at key moments of the match.
On their side, the Parisians also held their ground in front of their goal. Set plays struggled to lead to scoring. The women from Nice then made the difference with fast play, forcing Issy to make mistakes. Three penalties were awarded to OGC Nice in 9 minutes of play.
The defensive excellence of both teams is reflected in the score: 11-8 for OGC Nice at the end of the first half.
During the second half, both teams excelled in turn. The women from Nice widened the gap at the start of the period with a 4-1 in 5 minutes of play (score 15-9).
The Parisians shone at the end of the match. In the 23rd minute of play, OGC Nice scored its last goal of the game (score 22-16), but not Paris.
22-17, 22-18, 22-19… The Parisian score advances while the women from Nice can no longer score. OGC Nice receives a 2-minute penalty for a foul plus 2 minutes for dissent, leaving them with one fewer player for 4 minutes.
The end of the match comes as a relief with a score of 22-21 for OGC Nice. The women from Nice thus rise to 5th place.
The evening was marked by the presentation of a cheque to the League Against Cancer corresponding to the amount collected in June 2014 during the 10th Challenge of the Heart.
Christelle Del Peschio
