BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — Youngsters Yulia Gorobets and Batel Elkalay led the way as Israel’s first-ever girls entry at the Budapest New Years Cup finished with a 2-3 record at Vasas Sports Center.
Gorobets, a 15-year-old native of Ashkelon, led the way with 10 goals on the weekend, while Elkalay, a 16-year-old from Ashdod, added eight goals for a group of players who are building towards this summer’s U-20 European Championships in Poland.
The Israelis opened the tournament with a 3-2 setback to Italian club Roma Leones. Elkalay scored twice while Ally Trachtenberg added one goal in the nailbiter.
Gorobets and Nikol Baglay scored two goals apiece to top Hungarian club Guardians LC, 4-1, securing their first win.
The Bern Titans, a club from Switzerland, topped the blue-and-white 6-4 to wrap up play on day one. Gorbets scored twice, while Elkalay and Baglay added one goal apiece in the loss.
Team Israel came out in the second day of play with a swagger, pounding Hungarian club Budapest LC, 9-1. Gorobets scored four goals, with Elkalay adding three and Baglay two.
Swandinavia LC, a club from Denmark, wrapped up the tournament with a close victory against the Israelis. Gorobets and Elkalay scored two goals apiece.
The Israeli club was a composite team of players who have aspirations to compete at the first-ever ELF U-20 European Championships in August, which will be held in Katowice, Poland.
It featured six players from Ashkelon, four from Netanya, two from Ashdod and one from Be’er Tuvia. 10 of the 13 players on the Israeli were under the age of 18.
Caps (x6) – Nikol Baglay, Amit Burstein, Gabriela Cheban, Batel Elkalay, Yulia Gorobets, Rotem Gruberger, Shahar Lachman, Talya Karif, Blaire Nathanson, Talya Ozeri, Enav Pashut, Winter Pisco, Ally Trachtenberg