Tours : 1
Caen : 0
We had to wait until 57e minute ! A puck recovered in the middle of the ice, a quick counter from Peter Bourgaut, and the left corner found by No. 10: this is the breakthrough that the entire rink was hoping for – and which allowed the Remparts to remain undefeated at home -, at the end of a match that was closed for a very long time in a double or even triple round, this Wednesday, December 4.
It must be said that the Caennais, apart from their iron defense, had few arguments to present. While Tours undoubtedly released their most complete match since the start of the season.
We very quickly understood what the tone of this match would be: from the first minutes, the Tourangeaux attacked the Caen goal, with several volleys of shots, facing a well-grouped team which was not particularly seeking to create danger. in the opposite camp. A scenario which initially offered a rather soporific part…
The Touraine attempts, often too distant, hardly worried Ronan Quemener, the number 1 asset of the Drakkars. The best fireworks from Tours, Mallais and Gibbons, tried hard enough, but the former goalkeeper of the French team stopped most of the shots and diverted the others.
Caen, a solid defense and that's it
However, he was penalized for a delay in play at the very end of the period, for having moved his cage for the umpteenth time. And as Nikiforov had also taken a penalty just before, on one of Normandy's rare offensive actions, Tours found themselves five against three for a minute and a half. A situation which the Remparts did not take advantage of, however, with a big lack of speed and only two shots attempted. They were strangely more dangerous five against four for thirty seconds, with the bar hit by Näslund (21'33).
Apart from this little interlude, the appearance remained the same (and as unexciting as ever). The Remparts were increasingly laying siege to the Normandy goal, but when it wasn't Quemener, always so vigilant, a Caen leg or skate deflected Touraine's shots.
On the other side, Caen showed nothing: very difficult zone exits, almost no constructed action, and almost no danger for Sébastien Raibon, the Touraine goalkeeper.
A very well established Tours team
It must be said that with intense pressing as soon as the puck was lost, a very well-established defense and a always clean restart, the Remparts were excellent defensively. Raibon, who signed his first shutout of the season, still had a big save to make, on a shot from Devin (47'07), but that's about it.
Tours, for his part, appeared more and more urgent. Fournier, already close to scoring at the start of the third period, went on the counterattack and was hooked, but the inevitable Quemener stopped his penalty shot (48'42). Nothing seemed to fit… until this deliverance by Peter Bourgaut. Patience had paid off, Tours was finally rewarded!
After that, Caen tried to come back, even having a goal disallowed for a high cross with 40 seconds remaining. But it was Tours who deserved this victory, which could have been even greater, because Gibbons then Jean found the bar in their turn in the last minutes. The team that wanted to play the most won!
Third-time: 0-0, 0-0, 1-0.
Referees: MM. Douchy, Levasseur, Intsaby and Baudoin.
Shots: 33 in Tours; 20 in Caen.
> 3e tiers : 1-0 (57’01) : Bourgaut.
Penalties: 6 minutes to Tours (2 + 2 + 2); 8 minutes in Caen (6 + 2 + 0).