Croatian lacrosse players took advantage of a beautiful spring day in Resnik to play each other and show which team is Croatia’s best. Four games of the first round of CLL were held in true sporting spirit.
The hosts, Split Legion, were first on the field, playing against Zagreb Bulldogs. Although the Legionnaires bravely and successfully deflected the attacks of more experienced Bulldogs, lack of experience and rookie anxiety resulted in a lack of concentration, and, consequently, affected the end result. In the end, Bulldogs took home their first historic victory (6:0), with Domagoj Hećimović and Bruno Srezović Bijelić scoring a hat trick each.
The second game was a match between Zagreb Patriots and Varaždin Royals. Despite international reinforcements and an almost surreal individual performance from Filip Batur, Royals’ goalkeeper, who, with his 14 saves, was an unsolvable mystery for the Patriots, Patriots’ teamwork eventually prevailed, and the 5 goals scored by Patriots’ attacker Luka Markov are also worth mentioning. Patriots 7:2 Royals.
The third game of the day was a match between the hosts, Split Legion, and the Patriots, who were on a roll. Even though they played on another team’s home turf, the Patriots dominated the far less experienced Legionnaires throughout the game and won 8:1. Nikola Vranešić (2 goals / 3 assists) and Bartul Marunić (2 goals / 1 assist) led the Patriots to an overwhelming victory, while Christopher Caap scored Split Legion’s first historic goal.
The last game was a match between the Bulldogs and the Royals. Just like in previous three games, the teams from Zagreb took control over the game very early on and brought it to an end without much tension. Filip Batur was again up to the task, but the Bulldogs’ attack was too forceful. Filip Habeković, 1st round MVP, and Domagoj Hećimović led the Bulldogs to their victory, while Fran Vulić (2) and Žiga Koščak (1) scored goals for the Royals’. Bulldogs 6:3 Royals.
The next CLL round will be played on April 29, in Varaždin.