Jadran Herceg Novi moved within touching distance of another national title after securing a dramatic 15:14 victory over Primorac in the second match of the Montenegrin League final series. With this win, Jadran leads the best-of-five series 2:0 and can clinch the championship with a win in Game 3, scheduled for Saturday in Herceg Novi.

Just like the opening match, which ended 16:14 after a penalty shootout, tonight’s clash in Kotor was another thrilling battle that couldn’t be settled in regular time. The teams were tied 9:9 after 32 minutes, before Jadran emerged victorious in the shootout (6:5), scoring on all their attempts while capitalizing on a crucial miss from Primorac’s Dragan Draskovic.

A Comeback Victory Built on Patience

Remarkably, Jadran never led during regular time. From the early moments, Primorac set the pace. Djordjije Stanojevic fired in two quick goals midway through the first quarter, helping his team establish a 2:0 lead. Although Jadran responded through key goals from Andrii Kholod and Vasilije Sladovic, Primorac continued to control the scoreboard, leading 5:4 at halftime thanks to a timely strike from Nika Shushiashvili.

Shushiashvili missed a penalty early in the third quarter but quickly made amends by scoring again to extend Primorac’s lead to 6:4. The hosts pushed their advantage further, with Stanojevic completing his hat-trick to make it 8:5—Primorac’s largest lead of the game.

Yet Jadran refused to fold. The visitors tightened their defense and slowly chipped away at the deficit. Goals from Danilo Radovic and Sladovic kept them within striking distance. Midway through the final period, Danilo Stupar tied the game at 8:8. Although Drasko Brguljan briefly restored Primorac’s lead, Jadran’s persistence paid off when Vasilije Radovic equalized once more in the final 90 seconds of regulation.

Penalty Drama: Ivovic Seals the Win

Both sides were clinical from the penalty line through five rounds of the shootout. But in the sixth, the pressure finally told—Draskovic’s miss opened the door, and veteran Aleksandar Ivovic calmly converted to give Jadran a 16:15 win, their only lead of the entire match.

Match Summary

2025 Montenegrin League Final (Best-of-Five) – Match 2
Primorac – Jadran Herceg Novi 14:15 (3:1, 2:3, 3:2, 1:3, PSO 5:6)
Series: Jadran leads 2–0

Scorers

• Primorac: Stanojevic 3, Shushiashvili 2, Brguljan 1, Murisic 1, Janovic 1, Vuckovic 1
• Jadran: Sladovic 3, Kholod 1, Vujovic 1, Da. Radovic 1, Gojkovic 1, V. Radovic 1, Stupar 1

Penalty Shootout

• Primorac: Draskovic (miss), Brkic, Vuckovic, Cetkovic, Stanojevic
• Jadran: Ivovic (2), Da. Radovic, Kholod, Gojkovic, Sladovic

What’s Next?

Game 3 will take place in Herceg Novi this Saturday, where Jadran has the opportunity to complete a clean sweep and secure the 2025 Montenegrin Championship. However, Primorac has shown they can push their rivals to the brink. If they can find a way to close out the match in regular time, this series might still have life left.

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