Finally ! HC Ajoie holds its first victory of the season in the National Ice Hockey League championship. He beat Kloten 5-2 on Friday night in Porrentruy, ending a downward spiral of seven defeats. This well-deserved success gives morale to the “yellow and black”. May he also revive their business.
The HCA put all the ingredients in the pot to win this match: determination, intensity, physical impact, solidarity and intelligence of the game. The now ex-Zurich leader did not lead far in a Raiffeisen Arena which regained its the voice and the smile. After Devos opened the score just before the first siren, Fey, Nussbaumer, Sopa and Nättinen – in the empty cage – all unlocked their personal counters by scoring for the Ajoulote team. As for the Finnish legion, it was reassured: three points for Turkulainen, two for Palve and one for Nättinen. “We played in desperate mode this evening. This is what you have to do in all matches,” Quebec striker Philip-Michael Devos told us.
Doubt has not set in
The Jurassians therefore did the work. They mainly drew their victory in the second third, during which Veckaktins received a five-minute plus match penalty, in addition to two minor penalties against Pedretti and one against Nättinen. The defense and goalkeeper Ciaccio – impeccable on Friday – held up in particular as they played twice against five. And when Morley reduced the gap to 2-1 in the 34the minute, Ajoie did not let doubt settle in, making it 3-1 less than two minutes later via Nussbaumer. The 4-1 scored by Sopa after 37 seconds in the third period definitively buried the hopes of the Aviators. “We felt this evening that it was victory or nothing. We must continue with this mentality,” says Philip-Michael Devos.
The Vouivres therefore activated their counter. They now have a week of rest before going to challenge Zurich.
