A series of high-stakes and exhilarating games in the Regional League lit up this weekend, with the clashes in Split and Kotor emerging as the highlights of Round 18.
Jadran Split edged past Radnicki in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, finishing 21:20 after a 14:14 deadlock in regular time—even though the hosts never actually led during the four quarters.
In another marquee contest, league leaders Jadran Herceg Novi triumphed over archrivals Primorac with a narrow 10:9 win. Meanwhile, Novi Beograd comfortably secured points against Primorje, keeping the race for the top spot incredibly tight. Both Jadran HN and Novi Beograd sit at 45 points, with Radnicki and Jadran Split trailing by just two points behind the leaders from Herceg Novi and Belgrade.
Throughout the intense Split derby, Radnicki maintained control for much of the game. The visitors set the tone early, with the hosts leveling the score three times in the first quarter (1:1, 2:2, 3:3). As the period drew to a close, Radnicki’s defense tightened, and a 3:0 run in the early second quarter pushed them to a solid 6:3 lead. Yet, Jadran managed to claw back, reducing the deficit to a single goal by the first break (6:7).
Jadran equalized early in the third quarter at 7:7, only to see Radnicki respond with a swift 3:0 burst in less than two minutes to pull ahead 10:7. By the end of the third quarter, the Serbian side had widened the gap to 12:8. Not to be outdone, the Croatian champions ignited the final quarter with three consecutive goals, nudging the score to 11:12. In a tense final minute, the teams traded goals. Radnicki entered stoppage time ahead at 14:13 and appeared set to seal the win on a man-up opportunity—until Marko Bijac made a crucial save. A timeout called by coach Jure Marelja set the stage for the decisive moment, and just three seconds before the buzzer, Zovic’s strike tied the game at 14:14 and sent it into a shootout.
The dramatic contest was ultimately decided after 16 shots from the 5m line. With a key save from Bijac in the 8th round thwarting a shot from Dusan Vasic, and a flawless finish by Loren Fatovic, Jadran Split secured the hard-fought 21:20 victory. The match was a flurry of action with numerous goals and personal fouls—Jadran recorded 17, while Radnicki had 18—and both teams were reduced to three players before the shootout. In regulation, the standout scorers were Jadran’s Zvonimir Buric alongside Radnicki’s Nikola Jaksic and Boris Vapenski, each netting four goals.
In the Montenegrin derby at Kotor, Jadran Herceg Novi entered as favorites but faced a stern test. Early in the second quarter, Jadran took a 2:0 lead before the home side responded with three quick goals to grab a 3:2 advantage. The score was level at 3:3 at halftime. The visitors then regained control in the third quarter, leading 5:3 and 6:4, though the home side managed to equalize by period’s end at 6:6. With less than four minutes remaining, Jadran appeared to be cruising ahead with a 10:7 lead. However, Primorac fought back, narrowing the gap to 9:10. In the final minute, a crucial save by goalkeeper Darko Djurovic—made while his team was a man-down with just 20 seconds left—preserved the win.
Veteran Aleksandar Ivovic emerged as the top scorer for Jadran in Kotor with three goals, while teammates Kholod and Gojkovic added two each. Primorac’s Djordjije Stanojevic also netted three times, matching Ivovic’s tally. Additionally, Novi Beograd cruised to a 19:6 victory over Primorje, highlighted by five goals from Nikola Lukic, and Sabac overcame Mladost 11:9—dealing a significant blow to Mladost’s Final Four aspirations. After overturning an early 1:2 deficit to lead 5:2 on a 4:0 run, Mladost’s advantage shrank as Sabac gradually took control in the final quarter, with standout contributions from Andrija Korac (Sabac) and Konstantin Kharkov (Mladost), both scoring three times.
Jug outperformed Crvena Zvezda 13:10 in Dubrovnik, with a pivotal 4:0 run between the 11th and 20th minutes propelling them from a 5:4 deficit to a 9:4 lead. Vlaho Pavlic led Jug with four goals, while Kristijan Sulc netted four for Crvena Zvezda. Meanwhile, Solaris edged out Valis Vega 14:13 in Valjevo, clinching the win with a late winner just 44 seconds from the final buzzer.
Regional League, Round 18
- Jadran Herceg Novi 18 – 45
- Novi Beograd 18 – 45
- Radnicki 18 – 43
- Jadran Split 18 – 43
- Mladost 18 – 35
- Sabac 18 – 24
- Jug 17 – 19
- Crvena Zvezda 18 – 18
- Primorac 17 – 17
- Primorje 18 – 17
- Solaris 18 – 14
- Valis Vega 18 – 1
The head-to-head matches between the tied teams: Jadran HN – Novi Beograd 13:15 and 13:9, Radnicki – Jadran S 14:12 and 20:21 (PSO)