SG Fides St. Gallen Defeats League Leader Handball Emmen in Thrilling Match

St. Gallen, Switzerland – February 23, 2026 – SG Fides St. Gallen secured a hard-fought 38-37 victory against league-leading Handball Emmen in a captivating match at the St. Gallen Athletics Center. The win marks a significant achievement for Fides, especially considering the team was playing its third game within eight days.

Intense Match from the Start

Despite a short recovery period, SG Fides started strongly, with Elia Tarneller scoring the opening goal just 40 seconds into the game. The match quickly developed into an intense and competitive contest. Tarneller proved to be a key player early on, contributing six of Fides’ first ten goals.

Around the 15-minute mark, Fides managed to establish a three-goal lead, prompting a timeout from the Emmen coach. This tactical adjustment proved effective, as the visitors quickly equalized at 11-11. Fides responded with a timeout of their own, but neither team could gain a decisive advantage before halftime, resulting in a 17-17 tie.

Second Half Thrills and Tarneller’s Performance

Handball Emmen started the second half stronger, taking a 17-19 lead. However, Tarneller and Weber swiftly responded with goals to level the score. Emmen briefly regained the lead, but Fides countered successfully, with Simon Locher putting Fides ahead again after 41 minutes.

The game remained swift-paced, high-scoring, and incredibly tense until the final minute. Fides held on to win by a narrow margin of 38-37, benefiting from a crucial bit of luck.

Elia Tarneller was a standout performer, scoring 13 goals and earning recognition as one of the match winners.

Looking Ahead

SG Fides will continue their season next week with an away game against BSV Stans in central Switzerland.

Match Details

SG Fides St.Gallen – Handball Emmen 38:37 (17:17)

St. Gallen Athletics Center – 177 spectators

Referees: Spengler & Woschitz, Delegate: Vitzthum

Penalties: 4 x 2 minutes against Fides and 2 x 2 minutes against Emmen

Team Rosters

Fides: R. Schmid (7 saves), Hottinger (1 p.); Brülisauer (1), Coric (4), Fricker (1), Heinl (1), Linde, Locher (6), Niederer (1), Pfründer, J. Schmid, Tarneller (13), Weber (7/6), Wick (2), Wurst (2), Zeltner

Emmen: Näf (10 saves) Rast (3 pts.); Achermann (1), Büchli (5), Buholzer (3), Dürger, Gavranovic (7), Hochuli (8), Lampart, Röttges, Schärli (7/3), Sluijters (4), Steiner (2), Theiler

Fides Absences: G. Tarneller, Halbeisen (injured), Böhler, Manser and Egli (OHA), Schäpper (military), Jochum (Otmar) Zøhner-Pedersen and Schlachter (absent)

Emmen Absences: Mastrocola, Zimmermann, Bühler, Flückiger, Epp, Sfar Gandoura, Roos, Weingartner and Fuchs (not in the squad)

Missed Penalty: 2:1