Jadran Split have secured their third consecutive Croatian Championship title in dramatic fashion, edging out Mladost 11–10 in Game 3 of the finals series. In front of a home crowd, team captain Jerko Marinic Kragic delivered a buzzer-beating winner with just three seconds left on the clock, sealing the victory and the championship.
The win was a sweet reward for Jadran after falling short in three previous finals this season — the Croatian Cup, Croatian Super Cup, and the Regional League.
High-Scoring Showdown After Two Defensive Battles
While the first two games in the best-of-five final were marked by solid defensive displays, this third match saw the attackers take center stage from the start. Jadran opened aggressively, racing to a 2–0 lead within the first two minutes. Mladost responded quickly, leveling at 2–2, but Jadran pulled ahead once more, ending the first quarter with a 4–3 advantage.
At the beginning of the second period, Luka Radan pushed Jadran to a 5–3 lead. Mladost then responded with a burst of offense: Luka Basic capitalized on a man-up situation, and Daniil Kharkov converted a penalty to equalize at 5–5. The teams traded goals throughout the rest of the half, entering halftime tied 7–7.
Back-and-Forth Battle in the Final Minutes
Defenses returned to form in the third quarter, with both teams managing just one goal each. Mladost briefly took the lead early in the third, with Josip Vrlic drawing an exclusion and scoring on the power play. Jadran’s Ivan Zovic answered to bring it back to 8–8.
The fourth quarter saw Ivan Marcelic, Mladost’s goalkeeper, make a crucial save from Marinic Kragic early on. But Filip Butic soon found the net to make it 9–8 for Jadran, before Ivan Vukicevic equalized at 9–9. Marinic Kragic struck again to give Jadran a 10–9 lead, only for Marcelic to shock the crowd with a rare goalkeeper goal, tying it at 10–10 with just 54 seconds left.
But the final word belonged to Jadran’s captain. After a missed opportunity and rebound, Marinic Kragic made no mistake on the second chance, firing home the game-winner with just three seconds remaining, clinching a 3–0 sweep in the series.
2025 Croatian Championship Final (Game 3)
Jadran Split vs Mladost – 11:10
(4:3, 3:4, 1:2, 3:2)
Series Result: Jadran wins 3–0
Jadran Split scorers: Marinic Kragic 3, Butic 2, Berehulak 2, Radan 1, Zovic 1, Fatovic 1, Buselic 1
Mladost scorers: Basic 2, Vrlic 2, Vukicevic 2, Kharkov 2, Bukic 1, Marcelic 1
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