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Ice HockeyGottéron dominates Lugano, Geneva beaten, LHC beats Ajoie in overtime
The Dragons beat Lugano (2-1) thanks to the good performance of their rearguard. Bern won in Geneva (1-3) and Lausanne beat Ajoie in Porrentruy (5-6 ap).
David Desharnais Menace le gardien luganais, Mikko Koskinen.
Estelle Vagne/freshfocus
In a BCF Arena which was sold out (9009 spectators), FR Gottéron chained a third consecutive victory by taking the best of Lugano (2-1). The decisive goal came from the butt of the Finn Kuokkanen in the 52nd minute. Thanks to this success, the Dragons consolidate their place in the top 6 before moving to Lausanne.
After the ceremony for the newly retired Philippe Furrer, former defender of Bern, Gottéron, Lugano and the Swiss team, the defenses of the two teams were also in the spotlight. During the first 20, both FR Gottéron and Lugano failed to take back the opposing rear guards. Nine shots in total hit Connor Hughes or Mikko Koskinen, far too few. The only real chance to score came in the 20th on a poorly exploited 3vs1 by Calvin Thürkauf following a penalty.
Fortunately for the audience present, the second act started off on a better footing. Samuel Walser hit the post in the 23rd and more generally, the Dragons were more dominant by creating some good chances. Until the opener from Nathan Marchon (37th), who took full advantage of a rebound from the goalkeeper following a floating throw from Juuso Vainio. The Finnish defender scored his first point of the season on this occasion.
Against the course of the game, the Bianconeri were able to put the counters equal on a precise shot from Marco Müller (47th). Janne Kuokkanen (52nd), following an intense streak of domination from Freiburg, scored her first success since October 15 to give victory to her team.
On Saturday, the Dragons travel to Lausanne with the aim of stringing together 4 consecutive victories for the first time this season.
With Bern, Genève-Servette has found its pet peeve
Romain Loeffel and the Genevans did not pass once morest Bern.
BASTIEN GALLAY / LPS
The offensive festival of last October 14 was not repeated, but the result remained the same. Beaten in the capital six weeks ago (6-5 ap), Ge / Servette lost once more once morest Bern on Friday evening at Les Vernets (defeat 1-3), who had filled up to attend the ceremony in the honor of Goran Bezina. The young retiree, former captain of the Eagles and record holder for the number of points scored (407 units) with the GSHC, saw his flocked jersey of the mythical No 57 being hoisted under the roof of the venerable Geneva ice rink.
But the former Swiss international especially saw his party being spoiled by Bears who put a spoke in his wheels until the end. As in 2010 during the play-off final lost by Ge / Servette in seven matches. Like in 2019 when the Eagles were eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoffs following the longest match in Swiss hockey history, which was also Bezina’s last appearance in the garnet tunic.
Friday evening, the formation of Jan Cadieux paid dearly for the Bernese awakening, which won the physical battle – in particular by going to tickle the Geneva foreigners – and which displayed impressive defensive solidity. The GSHC, beaten for the sixth time since the start of the championship (the second only in regulation time), thus had all the trouble in the world to enter the slot and to be dangerous in front of Daniel Manzato, a former member of the house . The best attack in the League only found the fault once thanks to the late score reduction of Vincent Praplan (54th, 1-3), who was still skating for the capital club last season.
Before this goal of honor, Ge / Servette had been punished by one of his former players. Top scorer of the Bernese, who celebrated their first victory with Toni Söderholm on the boards, Romain Loeffel opened the scoring with an unstoppable shot from the blue line (26th, 0-1). Then Oscar Lindberg, one of the four foreigners present on the ice in the ranks of the Bears in the absence of Dominik Kahun, Eric Gelinas (injured) and Chris Di Domenico (suspended), offered himself a double (32nd 0- 2, 45th 0-3).
It’s a safe bet that the Eagles, who have only lost two games in a row since the beginning of the year, will want to react on Saturday evening (7:45 p.m.) on the ice of a neo- promoted Kloten to great form.
Lausanne let a three-point victory slip away
The meeting between Jurassians and Vaudois was tight.
Jonathan Vallat/freshfocus
A surprise in the pre-match lineup: Igor Jelovac, who had emerged as one of the pillars of the defense since his arrival at the LHC in the offseason, was announced supernumerary. An astonishing status confirmed by manager, Justin Krueger, before kick-off. Geoff Ward, the new coach of the Lions who led the team for the fifth time since joining the club, may have regretted leaving the big and robust Villardou in the stands when HC Ajoie drew 2-0 ( Kevin Bozon) 14 seconds following opening the scoring on the power play on a shot by American defender TJ Brennan. We had barely played for 11 minutes when the Lions defense was shattered once morest the National League bottom.
The Lions however came to their senses, and were quick to return to the height of the Jurassians, before cooling them later in the second period with goals from Cory Emmerton (33rd, 3-3) and Cody Almond (45th , 3-4).
Everything remains fragile in the Lausanne camp, especially when the most robust defenders (Jelovac) are in the stands. This is where Martin Gernat also ended before the first break. The Slovak was penalized for the match following a charge once morest the head of Kevin Bozon, all barely 21 seconds following the 3-2 Ajoulots signed Martin Bakos (19th).
The Jura player Marco Pedretti, author of a double, put the LHC in a strong position by scoring 3-5 just over six minutes from the siren. But HC Ajoie, each time at 6 once morest 5 and without a goalkeeper, returned to 4-5 (56th), then to 5-5 at 47 seconds from the gong on a goal from Brennan (60th, 5-5). In overtime, Tim Bozon (64′, 5-6) scored the winning goal… in the empty cage as Czech coach Filip Pesan had just attempted several poker moves by taking out his goalkeeper in favor of an additional player.
(RST/CYP/CGE)
