HBL

Nissen strikes in the dying seconds: Erlangen remain unbeaten at home

Sunday, October 11, 2026

HC Erlangen vs. MT Melsungen - Game Highlights

Photo: Berger

HC Erlangen secured a 33:32 victory over MT Melsungen at the PSD Bank Nürnberg ARENA and remain undefeated at home this season. Marek Nissen decided a contest that remained open for the full 60 minutes with his sixth goal into the visitors' empty net, seconds before the final buzzer.

Erlangen won the match through their ruthlessness in the decisive moments. The hosts consistently exploited the visitors' willingness to take risks, as Melsungen repeatedly attacked with a seventh outfield player: four Erlangen goals found the unguarded Melsungen net, with a further four coming from fast breaks. Melsungen committed nine technical errors, which HCE punished almost immediately in the first half.

That it nevertheless remained a knife-edge contest was down to the visitors' strengths. With a shooting percentage of just under 70 per cent, MT were the more efficient side in attack, Nebojsa Simic made twelve saves including three from the seven-metre line, and Johannes Golla was a reliable target at the pivot with four goals. For Erlangen, Nissen stood out with six goals from seven attempts, alongside Maciej Gebala, who converted all four of his shots.

For HCE it is their first win over MT since April 2022 and the continuation of a start to the season that Erlangen have not enjoyed for four years. Melsungen, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first away win of the campaign and once again conceded more than 30 goals on the road.

A timeout that changed everything

Initially it looked like an away victory for the visitors. Melsungen led throughout a goal-laden opening phase, pulling ahead to 10:13 and benefiting from the fact that the Erlangen defence could barely get a grip on the game. Coach Johannes Sellin called a timeout after a good 19 minutes, demanding more intensity and compactness in the centre of defence, and his side responded: with a 7:2 run, HCE turned the match around, turnovers led to easy goals, and Tin Herceg found his way into the contest after a long wait. At the break it stood 18:16 to the hosts.

After the restart Melsungen equalised at 18:18, but Erlangen remained patient in attack and pulled four goals clear for the first time through Gebala and Sander Øverjordet (24:20). It was the hosts' best spell, and at the same time the moment when MT showed their quality: after two simple turnovers by Erlangen, Melsungen came back with a 3:0 run and levelled at 24:24.

From that point the lead changed hands several times, the match became scrappy, fiercely contested and repeatedly interrupted by video reviews. Maxsim Lochman put Erlangen 32:31 ahead around two minutes from time, but Melsungen equalised again. After Erlangen's final timeout, Simic saved a seven-metre throw from Viggó Kristjánsson, before Nissen intercepted the ball in Melsungen's attack and scored into the empty net to make it 33:32. I thought, when I took the step forward, he's going to play it past me. Then the gap opened up and I somehow intercepted it, Nissen described the decisive moment. Kristjánsson, who had just failed from the line, said: After I missed, the possibility that we could win was somehow no longer in my head. And when Marek won the ball and I saw that the goal was empty, it was incredible.

For the visitors, disappointment remained over a match that had long been within reach. That was a hard-fought game from the start. In the end we had it in our hands, then we gave the ball away, and of course that hurts all the more, said Leon Stehl, who scored four goals.

For Erlangen, the action continues as early as Thursday, 15 October, away at HSG Wetzlar. Melsungen have a little more time and host Bergischer HC on Saturday, 17 October.

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Match statistics

HC Erlangen - MT Melsungen 33:32 (18:16)

HC Erlangen: Herceg (6 saves), Ghedbane; Nissen 6, Gebala 4, Maldonado 3, Kristjánsson 3/2, Øverjordet 3, Lochman 3, Bandlow 3, Bissel 2, Steinert 2, Buck 1, Bialowas 1/1, Gömmel 1, Firnhaber, Runarsson

MT Melsungen: Simic (12 saves), Palasics; Enderleit 5, Stefansson 4, Stehl 4, Golla 4, Mandic 4, Balenciaga 3, Schefvert 2, Drosten 2/2, Mensing 1, Marchán 1, Rivera 1, Sipos 1, Ignatow, Dujshebaev

Top Player: Marek Nissen (HPI 92) / Johannes Golla (HPI 84)
Visitors: 7300 (PSD Bank Nürnberg ARENA)
Suspensions: 2 / 4

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