National League Roundup: Bern Wins Derby, Geneva Extends Winning Streak, Davos Stumbles
A thrilling weekend of action in the National League saw SC Bern claim a crucial derby victory, the ZSC Lions triumph in overtime, and league-leading Davos suffer a rare defeat amidst an illness outbreak. Servette continued its impressive run, while Ambri-Piotta closed the gap on the playoff contenders.
SC Bern Edges Biel in Tense Derby Match
In a hard-fought encounter, SC Bern secured a 1-2 victory over Biel. Despite a frustrating 40 shots on goal Friday against Ambri without success, Bern found their scoring touch quickly against Biel, with Miro Aaltonen netting his 3rd goal of the season just four minutes into the game. Mats Alge extended the lead, seemingly putting the game out of reach, but a late push from Biel, fueled by goals from Rodwin Dionicio and Sandro Zurkirchen, created a tense finish. Ultimately, Bern held on, overtaking Biel in the standings and climbing to 10th place in the play-in picture.
ZSC Lions Prevail in Overtime Thriller Against Zug
The ZSC Lions continued their rivalry with EV Zug, once again requiring extra time to determine a winner. After a back-and-forth contest, Derek Grant emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal just under three minutes into overtime. The Lions had to overcome deficits, with youngster Kimo Gruber stepping up in place of the ill Sven Andrighetto. This marks the 5th consecutive defeat for EV Zug.
Illness-Hit Davos Falls to SCL Tigers
HC Davos, grappling with a significant illness within the team, suffered only their 7th defeat of the season, falling 3-1 to the SCL Tigers. Key offensive players Matej Stransky, Filip Zadina, and Michael Fora were all sidelined. The Tigers capitalized on Davos’ weakened state, with Juuso Riikola, and a two-goal performance from Harri Pesonen, leading the charge. Enzo Corvi and Oskars Lapinskis also found the back of the net for the Tigers.
Servette Continues Dominance with Sixth Straight Win
Servette remains the team to beat, securing their 6th consecutive victory with a 1-3 win over Kloten. A shorthanded goal from Noah Rod and a strike from the in-form Dave Sutter gave Geneva a comfortable lead heading into the final period. Mischa Ramel added another goal for the “Grenats,” while Kloten struggled to mount a significant challenge, even facing a major penalty. Sakari Manninen sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Freiburg Dismantles Lausanne in One-Sided Affair
Lausanne continued to struggle, suffering a 0-4 defeat to Freiburg – their 6th loss in the last 7 games. Despite a competitive start, Freiburg took control, with Attilio Biasca opening the scoring on the power play. A late surge saw Jacob de la Rose, Samuel Walser, and Maximilian Streule score three goals in just over three minutes. Goaltender Reto Berra secured his 5th shutout of the season, establishing himself as the league leader.
Ambri-Piotta Narrowly Defeats Rapperswil in Overtime
Ambri-Piotta continued its recent resurgence, securing a 4-3 overtime victory against Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. After falling behind for much of the game, Chris DiDomenico scored twice, including the equalizer with 10 minutes remaining, to force overtime. Dominic Zwerger then secured the win just three minutes into the extra period, narrowing the gap to 12th-ranked Kloten to just one point. The team has found success since the announcement of Lars Weibel’s upcoming role as head of sports.
The National League continues to deliver compelling action, with teams battling for playoff positioning as the season progresses.
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