Better on his feet than two days earlier during the slap conceded to Zug, HC Ajoie failed to get back on track Friday evening. Penalized by his catastrophic third-party entries, he lost 4 to 3 in Lugano.
The Luganese arena was filled with chills just moments before kick-off when a vibrant tribute was paid to Geo Mantegazza. The man who was president of the club from 1978 to 1991, who died a week ago at the age of 96, was given a standing ovation for several minutes by the public, standing as one man, who made a point of greeting as he owes itself to the memory of an emblematic figure. For the occasion, the local kop displayed a banner on which was written: “a man, a father, a legend.” What an emotional moment!
Under the eyes of the current president, her daughter Vicky, in tears, the Ticino players also wanted to commemorate the soul of the HCL in their own way, by opening the score after 35 seconds. Wearing a special jersey with Luca Fazzini without a top scorer jersey – an extremely rare occurrence – they took the lead in the first sequence of the evening.
Accustomed to the beginnings of completely messed up meetings, the Ajoulots did it again. But they responded immediately. Emils Veckaktins, for his return to the Cornèr Arena and author of his first achievement in the National League, deceived in the sequence the Slovak goalkeeper Adam Huska, arrived on Wednesday to compensate for the injury of Joren van Pottelberghe. A strike from each side and a score of 1-1: the thrills did not stop with the first puck release.
Lugano had no intention of missing out on this obviously special evening. He used the HCA’s dramatically porous defense to quickly get back in front. It was once again through his parade line that he scored. Zohorna and Joly joined forces during their second shift of the match to restore the advantage to their team (6th).
After Wednesday’s disappointment in Zug (7-1 defeat), would the Ajoulots, who went directly to Ticino after their rout, have enough pride to offer a reaction or would they sink a little further into crisis? ? This move, in such a context charged with emotions, was not obvious, that is a certainty. All the more so since at home, Luca Gianinazzi’s men had so far achieved a solid result at the start of the championship (4 matches and 12 points).
But the red lantern, already dropped from all its competitors in the ranking, showed character in the intermediate period. She asserted herself on the ice in a more obvious way and turned the score to her advantage in the space of four minutes. Veckaktins, for the double (2-2, 22nd), and TJ Brennan (2-3, 25th) then cooled the atmosphere in the ice rink.
A few seconds before the American defender’s success, Daniel Carr found the post of the cage guarded by Damiano Ciaccio. The turning point? Not really, because this same Carr restored parity after…25 seconds in the final third. Crazy, even incomprehensible, to what extent Ajoie has difficulty keeping up with the start of her period.
And to contain the first Ticino offensive triplet on Friday evening. In numerical superiority and still with Michael Joly at the helm (4 points), Marc Arcobello put Lugano back in a good position (46th). Despite a few chances during a confusing and interminable end to the game, HC Ajoie was not able to come back, conceding its 11th setback in 12 days.
Will he manage to confirm the best glimpsed in Lugano on Saturday during the reception of GE Servette? With this HCA so moody, it’s hard to predict.
Lugano – Ajoie 4-3 (2-1 0-2 2-0)
Cornèr Arena. 5644 spectators. Arbitres: MM. Kaukokari, Ströbel, Fuchs et Bachelut.
Buts: 1st (0’35) Joly (Zohorna) 1-0, 2nd Veckaktins (Turkulainen) 1-1, 6th Zohorna (Joly) 2-1, 22nd Veckaktins (Fey, Turkulainen) 2-2, 25th Brennan (Romanenghi, Pedretti ) 2-3, 41 (40’25) Carr (Joly, Zohorna) 3-3, 46e Arcobello (Joly) 4-3.
Lugano: Huska; Aebischer, Jesper Peltonen; Guerra, Mirco Müller; Hausheer, Alatalo; Meile; Joly, Zohorna, Carr; Fazzini, Arcobello, Patry; Cormier, Marco Mueller, Secac; Alexi Peltonen, Canonica, Verboon; Zanetti. Coach: Gianinazzi.
Add: Ciaccio; Honka, Fey; Fischer, Brennan; Nussbaumer, Maurer; Minder, Thiry; Nättinen, Palve, Frossard; Turkulainen, Devos, Veckaktins; Sopa, Romanenghi, Pedretti; Pouilly, Rundqvist, Bozon. Trainer: Wohlwend.
Penalties: 4 x 2′ against Lugano, 3 x 2′ against Ajoie.
Notes: Lugano without Dahlström, Morini, Thürkauf, van Pottelberghe (injured) nor Reichle (supernumerary foreigner). Ajoie without Garessus, Hazen, Schmutz (injured), Bernasconi, Pilet or Robin (extras). Carr’s crossbar shot (25th). Time out requested by Lugano (25th) and by Ajoie (60th). Fazzini’s goal invalidated following an offside position (48th). Ajoie removes his goalkeeper in favor of a sixth outfield player (57’58 to 58’08 and from 58’54 to 60’00).
