With 11 teams on board in the lower division, Group C and D action began a day earlier than the elite competition at the European Aquatics U18 Women Water Polo Championships in Malta. Favourites claimed easy wins, with Germany, Great Britain and the Czechs each winning both of their opening matches. Meanwhile the meeting of Slovakia and Romania produced the tournament’s first shootout.

The opening day at the EA U18 Women Water Polo Championships in Malta produced fierce battles, including a shootout, between Romania and Slovakia. Credit:Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics

Group C: Germans win two, hosts Malta upend Ireland

Among the teams playing two matches on the opening day, Germany made the most out of it as they landed six points with fine wins over Ukraine and Ireland.

The Irish couldn\’t match the power of the German players in their Group C match. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics

The Irish lost both their matches. The first, against Malta, produced a great battle where the hosts started taking control in the second period and went 7-4 up three minutes before the middle break. Their rivals fought back to 7-7, and after the score had levelled again at 8-8 Malta scored twice more in the last two minutes. Eyla Schembri and Ella Miceli went on adding goals in the fourth and Malta seemed to get control once more at 13-9. The Irish halved the gap in a span of 38 seconds and had a 6 on 5 after a time-out but missed it. Elisa Amato’s great goal from the centre 30 seconds from time sealed Malta’s win. The host team;s goalie, Miia Clarke, who turned 12 (yes, 12) three weeks ago, did a splendid job in the red cap.

Malta\’s 12-year-old goalie Miia Clarke was hugely instrumental in their opening day win over Ireland. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics

Serbia began the final match of the day, against Ukraine, at 21.30. And they staged a Late Night Show as they won a 28-goal game with a convincing performance. The Ukrainians came back to 5-5 after trailing 4-1 in the first period, but the Serbs came up with 4-0 run in the last three minutes before the middle break and never looked back.

Group D: Czechs and Brits bag six points apiece

Group D saw two full rounds today in which Czechia and Great Britain got off to a great start with wins in the morning and evening. The match between Slovakia and Romania ended in a shootout..

Czechia, playing the opening game of the event, hit 13 right away in the first period against Bulgaria and stopped at 34. In the afternoon, they did a clean job once more, this time at the expense of the Swiss.

The Czechs (in white caps) showed little mercy against the Bulgarians in the opening match. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics

Switzerland managed a more balanced match against Slovakia but they ran out of steam in the fourth period. Trailing just 7-5 after three quarters, they conceded three in a row in the last one as the Slovakians sailed away with the win.

The Slovaks had another tough test in the evening, against Romania. Though they led 0-3 in the first, the Romanians scored twice in the last half minute and it was 4-4 at half-time. Romania added three more in the third to make it 7-4 and were 8-5 up before the final quarter. At 9-6 with 3:11 to go, Romania seemed to have it. However, the Slovaks pulled one back with 1:43 on the clock and while the Romanians became was too passive, two pinpoint shots from Alina Kopolovets inside the last minute forced the match to a shoot-out. But this only earned one point for the Slovaks as the Romanians buried all their shots while one bad miss from the Slovaks decided the match.

Romania\’s shooters celebrate their shoot-out win over Slovakia. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics

Great Britain had no headaches on the opening day, entertaining their enthusiastic fan base with a 10-goal victory over the Romanians shortly before noon and caming back to set a scoring record against Bulgaria as they netted 36.

Tomorrow will see the elite sides hit the pool. The first big match, starting at 08.30, will feature Hungary and The Netherlands.

Enjoy all matches live on our streaming platform – www.euroaquaticstv.com

Follow our livescoring site for results and more – https://results.microplustimingservices.com/ewpcU18w25/#/schedule-bydate/ASF

Women’s U18 Europeans, Malta

Results, Day 1

Group C

Ukraine v Germany 5-14

Malta v Ireland 14-11

Ireland v Germany 7-20

Serbia v Ukraine 17-11

Group D

Czechia v Bulgaria 34-4

Slovakia v Switzerland 12-7

Great Britain v Romania 17-7

Switzerland v Czechia 5-22

Bulgaria v Great Britain 4-36

Romania v Slovakia 9-9, pen: 5-3

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics