Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ROME – With pride, heart and unshakable grit, C.C. Ortigia 1928 snatched an epic, thrilling victory on the road against Roma Vis Nova. In an endless match marked by breakneck pace, a glut of goals and constant swings in momentum, the Syracuse side coached by Hrvoje Koljanin won 18-17, earning three crucial points that take them to six in the overall table.
A pyrotechnic, fiercely contested game, notable for a record number of permanent exclusions and decided only in the final five seconds of play.
The match sheet
ROMA VIS NOVA – C.C. ORTIGIA 1928 17–18
(Quarter scores: 5-3, 4-6, 5-5, 3-4)
Roma Vis Nova: Massaro, M. Maffei 1, Poli 1, Stopponi, F. Maffei 1, Pagliarini 2, Muscat Melito 5, Mercep 3, Martino, Fenech 1, Spione 1, Antonucci (C) 2, Correggia, Urbinati, Mocavini. Coach: Alessandro Calcaterra.
C.C. Ortigia 1928: Ruggiero, Stellet, Torrisi 3, Sicali, Di Luciano (C) 2, Snel 4, Tringali Capuano, Tankosic, Trimarchi 1, Marangolo, Radovic 4, Skiljic 4, Reina, Polizzi, Bordone. Coach: Hrvoje Koljanin.
Referees: Stefano Alfi (Naples) and Antonio Guarracino (Naples).
Man-up goals: RVN 10/18 + 2 penalties; ORT 13/17 + 1 penalty.
Exclusions for three fouls: Tankosic (O) and Sicali (O) in Q2; Polizzi (O) and Stopponi (R) in Q3; Antonucci (R), Marangolo (O), Muscat (R), Poli (R) and F. Maffei (RVN) in Q4. Sent off for dissent: Bordone (O) in Q4.
From four down to a nail-biting finish
The opening exchanges saw Roma Vis Nova take control, ending the first quarter 5-3 up thanks to two lethal strikes in the closing minutes. In the second period the hosts attempted the decisive breakaway: led by the scoring flair of Maltese player Muscat (five goals in total), the Romans put together a 4-1 run that took the score to 9-5.
At their lowest ebb, Ortigia produced a magnificent response. The green-and-whites dug in and launched a powerful comeback: after the home side missed a penalty, Torrisi fired in the equaliser with two seconds left on the half-time buzzer for a stunning 9-9.
The second half was played on a knife-edge: both teams went at each other full tilt, trading blows until the score stood at 17-17. With a minute remaining, Vis Nova earned another man-up, but the Ortigia goalkeeper Ruggiero pulled off a miracle save to deny the shot. At the other end, Ortigia won a man-up of their own: Snel (four goals, level with Radovic and Skiljic) kept his cool under pressure and slotted the winner for 18-17 with just five seconds left, sending the Syracuse camp into raptures.
Coach Koljanin: “A win earned with heart and grit”
After the match, the Ortigia coach Hrvoje Koljanin expressed his full satisfaction with the character shown by his players:
“This was a great win; the lads fought for all four quarters. Even when we were behind on the scoreboard, we kept playing our game and battling. I think that is the most important message to take from today’s match. Our opponents were really strong, and this positive result will push us to work even harder.”
“After a game like this,” Koljanin continued, “you cannot say anything special about the tactical side, because today we won far more with heart than with brains. We stood strong in difficult situations; we showed the character and grit to fight to the very end. I want the lads to keep going down this path and to keep working so we can reproduce in matches what we do every day in training.”
