# 2017–18 Damehåndboldligaen

The 2017–18 Damehåndboldligaen (known as HTH GO Ligaen for sponsorship reasons) was the 82nd season of Damehåndboldligaen, Denmark's premier handball league. Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub were the defending champions.
København Håndbold won their first ever title, when they beat Odense Håndbold in the final. There were no relegated teams, as Ajax København won the relegation play off against SønderjyskE Håndbold.

## Team information

| Team. | Town | Arena | Capacity |
| Aarhus United | Aarhus | Ceres Arena Stadionhal | 1.200 |
| Ajax København | København | Bavnehøj-Hallen | 1.000 |
| FC Midtjylland | Ikast | Ikast-Brande Arena | 2.850 |
| København Håndbold | København | Frederiksberghallen | 1.468 |
| Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub | Nykøbing Falster | POWER ARENA | 1.300 |
| Odense Håndbold | Odense | Odense Idrætshal | 2.256 |
| Randers HK | Randers | Arena Randers | 3.000 |
| Ringkøbing Håndbold | Ringkøbing | Rofi-Centret | 1.100 |
| Silkeborg-Voel KFUM | Silkeborg | Jysk Arena | 3.000 |
| Team Esbjerg | Esbjerg | Blue Water Dokken | 2.549 |
| Team Tvis Holstebro | Holstebro | Gråkjær Arena | 3.250 |
| Viborg HK | Viborg | Viborg Stadionhal | 3.000 |

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | København Håndbold | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 618 | 532 | +86 | 35 | Championship play-offs + advance to Champions League |
| 2 | Odense Håndbold | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 602 | 508 | +94 | 33 | Championship play-offs |
| 3 | FC Midtjylland | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 550 | 488 | +62 | 30 | Championship play-offs |
| 4 | Nykøbing F. Håndboldklub | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 623 | 573 | +50 | 29 | Championship play-offs |
| 5 | Team Esbjerg | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 559 | 526 | +33 | 28 | Championship play-offs |
| 6 | Viborg HK | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 562 | 516 | +46 | 27 | Championship play-offs |
| 7 | Silkeborg-Voel KFUM | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 598 | 573 | +25 | 24 | Championship play-offs |
| 8 | Randers HK | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 514 | 516 | −2 | 20 | Championship play-offs |
| 9 | Team Tvis Holstebro | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 538 | 578 | −40 | 18 | |
| 10 | Aarhus United | 22 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 478 | 547 | −69 | 12 | |
| 11 | Ringkøbing Håndbold | 22 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 505 | 616 | −111 | 5 | |
| 12 | Ajax København | 22 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 466 | 640 | −174 | 3 | Relegation play-off |
! In the 2017-18 season, no teams will be directly relegated as the league expands to 14 teams from the 2018-19 season. The last placed team of the regular season will play a best of three relegation playoff against 1. division's third-placed team (as both the winner and the runner-up of 1. division will be automatically promoted to the 2018–19 Damehåndboldligaen). Like the men's league, the championship play-offs will include 8 teams.

### Results

In the table below the home teams are listed on the left and the away teams along the top.
| Home \ Away | AAR | AJA | FCM | KBH | NFH | OHC | RHK | RIN | SIL | ESB | TTH | VHK |
| Aarhus United | | 19–17 | 19–25 | 23–29 | 20–31 | 22–23 | 21–24 | 24–20 | 32–26 | 16–26 | 19–22 | 24–25 |
| Ajax København | 20–30 | | 22–31 | 23–34 | 27–39 | 23–33 | 21–28 | 22–27 | 20–24 | 19–26 | 27–26 | 20–27 |
| FC Midtjylland | 32–18 | 38–22 | | 24–21 | 26–22 | 24–17 | 28–22 | 34–29 | 23–26 | 22–25 | 32–26 | 34–25 |
| København Håndbold | 31–20 | 33–28 | 23–21 | | 27–24 | 24–24 | 25–32 | 38–26 | 26–21 | 24–23 | 33–32 | 26–17 |
| Nykøbing Falster Håndbold | 36–21 | 36–24 | 26–19 | 23–31 | | 28–27 | 36–35 | 31–21 | 28–25 | 26–23 | 25–25 | 30–30 |
| Odense Håndbold | 24–18 | 35–16 | 17–24 | 18–35 | 28–31 | | 30–20 | 31–22 | 25–24 | 33–23 | 36–24 | 30–29 |
| Randers HK | 19–19 | 31–16 | 20–22 | 28–26 | 29–23 | 20–23 | | 21–20 | 29–29 | 19–22 | 23–24 | 21–25 |
| Ringkøbing Håndbold | 22–22 | 26–19 | 19–22 | 28–30 | 21–28 | 16–33 | 20–21 | | 25–26 | 22–29 | 22–36 | 15–21 |
| Silkeborg-Voel | 29–26 | 30–22 | 27–16 | 26–30 | 31–27 | 23–31 | 26–23 | 35–27 | | 23–24 | 25–26 | 25–25 |
| Team Esbjerg | 30–24 | 30–27 | 24–19 | 27–23 | 24–26 | 18–27 | 23–18 | 29–27 | 27–34 | | 26–20 | 24–27 |
| TTH Holstebro | 19–25 | 24–15 | 21–32 | 28–20 | 26–26 | 19–28 | 18–21 | 29–26 | 36–33 | 22–35 | | 23–36 |
| Viborg HK | 17–16 | 22–22 | 23–20 | 26–29 | 33–21 | 25–29 | 19–20 | 35–24 | 25–30 | 28–21 | 22–12 | |

## Championship playoffs
### Group 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KBH | ESB | NFH | RAN |
| 1 | København Håndbold | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 167 | 140 | +27 | 12 | Advance to semi-finals | — | 25–26 | 31–26 | 28–16 |
| 2 | Team Esbjerg | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 161 | 151 | +10 | 8 | Advance to semi-finals | 28–30 | — | 28–23 | 30–25 |
| 3 | Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 150 | 153 | −3 | 7 | | 22–23 | 28–27 | — | 24–19 |
| 4 | Randers HK | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 127 | 161 | −34 | 0 | | 22–30 | 20–22 | 25–27 | — |

### Group 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | OHC | VHK | FCM | SIL |
| 1 | Odense Håndbold | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 171 | 135 | +36 | 13 | Advance to semi-finals | — | 25–20 | 31–22 | 32–21 |
| 2 | Viborg HK | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 156 | 148 | +8 | 6 | Advance to semi-finals | 24–29 | — | 26–29 | 30–18 |
| 3 | FC Midtjylland | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 140 | 150 | −10 | 5 | | 21–27 | 18–20 | — | 24–25 |
| 4 | Silkeborg-Voel | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 141 | 175 | −34 | 3 | | 27–27 | 29–36 | 21–26 | — |

## Championship
### Semi-finals

| Date | Date | Date | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | Results | Results | Results |
| 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match |
| 5 May | 8 May | 12 May | København Håndbold | Viborg HK | 18–24 | 25–31 | 27–26 |
| 5 May | 8 May | 12 May | Odense Håndbold | Team Esbjerg | 20–27 | 21–24 | 32–23 |
! Best of three matches. In the case of a tie after the second match, a third match is played. Highest ranking team in the regular season has the home advantage in the first and possible third match.

### 3rd place

| Date | Date | Date | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | Results | Results | Results |
| 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match |
| 18 May | 22 May | 26 May | Viborg HK | Team Esbjerg | 19-28 | 28-26 | 36-34 |
! Best of three matches. In the case of a tie after the second match, a third match is played. Highest ranking team in the regular season has the home advantage in the first and possible third match.

### Final

| Date | Date | Date | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | Results | Results | Results |
| 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match |
| 19 May | 22 May | 27 May | København Håndbold | Odense Håndbold | 28–25 | 22-29 | 26-25 |
! Best of three matches. In the case of a tie after the second match, a third match is played. Highest ranking team in the regular season has the home advantage in the first and possible third match.

## Relegation playoff

! Best of three matches. In the case of a tie after the second match, a third match is played. Highest ranking team in the regular season has the home advantage in the first and possible third match.
| Date | Date | Date | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | Results | Results | Results |
| 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match | Home team in the 1st match & 3rd match | Home team in the 2nd match | 1st match | 2nd match | 3rd match |
| 21 April | 25 April | 28 April | Ajax København | SønderjyskE | 21–23 | 22–35 | 38–26 |

## Top goalscorers

    As of matches played on 21 April 2018

### Monthly awards

| Month | Player of the Month | Player of the Month |
| Month | Player | Club |
| September | Natasja Clausen | Ringkøbing |
| October | Maria Fisker | Randers |
| November | Mia Rej | København |
| Januar | Louise Burgaard | Midtjyllland |
| February | Line Uno | Viborg |
| March | Annette Jensen | Holstebro |
| April | Kathrine Heindahl | Odense |