Published4. March 2024, 22:03
Hockey: The LHC finishes on the podium and will challenge Davos
Lausanne easily beat Zug (4-1) on Monday evening at the Vaudoise arena. The Lions finished third in the National League and will face Graubünden in the quarter-finals of the play-offs.
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Chris Geiger – Lausanne
Antti Suomela made her yellow helmet shine.
Pascal Muller/freshfocus
Lausanne HC finished its National League regular season in brilliant fashion. Monday evening in Malley, the Vaud team won a final, well-deserved victory (4-1) against a decimated and adrift EV Zug.
The Lions, obliged to win to finish the championship on the podium, thus validated their third place in the ranking with this favorable result. They will challenge HC Davos (6th) in the quarter-finals of the play-offs. The first act is scheduled for next Sunday, March 17, with a kickoff which will be given at 8 p.m. at the Vaudoise arena.
The LHC built its 31st success of the year thanks to a middle third of fire. Thanks above all to a timely reshuffle of the first two offensive triplets. The one composed by Damien Riat, Jason Fuchs and Miikka Salomäki left its mark on the match by scoring the first three Vaudois successes in the space of 17 minutes.
It was Miikka Salomäki (22nd, 1-0), for his first goal since his return to the game, who logically broke the Swiss barrier, after excellent preparatory work from Damien Riat behind the cage guarded by Leonardo Genoni.
The Swiss international goalkeeper was then surprised by a subtle deflection from Jason Fuchs (36th, 2-0), who lodged the puck between the pads of the last Zug rampart. Abandoned by his defense, he would capitulate again 146 seconds later, after a new and magnificent triangulation of the three Lausanne friends concluded by Damien Riat (38th, 3-0).
Coach Geoff Ward’s choice to move between Miikka Salomäki and Jiri Sekac, repositioned on the wing of the first line alongside Antti Suomela and Théo Rochette, paid off. Because even beyond the goals, the two trios in question showed themselves to be particularly inspired and to their advantage against the Taureaux beaten for the ninth time during their last ten league outings. The parade line was also rewarded for its good performance at the end of the match, when Théo Rochette (55th, 4-1) victoriously took an assist from Antti Suomela.
Lausanne, which had conceded the reduction of the score signed by Riley Sheen (48th, 3-1) in the middle of the third period will now benefit from thirteen days to recharge its batteries, recover its final injured (the Finnish Henrik Haapala, whose state of health is assessed day by day) and to best prepare for his series with HC Davos. Graubünden against whom the Lions have won three times in four closely contested confrontations.
Lausanne – Zug 4-1 (0-0 3-0 1-1)
Vaudoise aréna, 7476 spectators. Arbitrators: MM. Borga, Urban; Wolf, Duc. Buts: 22e Salomäki (Riat) 1-0, 36e Fuchs (Riat, Salomäki) 2-0, 38e Riat (Salomäki, Fuchs) 3-0, 48e Sheen (Wingerli) 3-1, 55e Rochette (Suomela, Frick) 4 -1.
Lausanne: Pasche; Glauser, Djoos; Pilut, Marti; Heldner, Frick; Genazzi; Rochette, Suomela, Sekac; Riat, Fuchs, Salomäki; Bozon, Jäger, Raffl; Holdener, Almond, Pedretti; Hügli. Coach: Geoff Ward.
Zug: Genoni; Gross, Muggli; Smurf, Senteler; Nussbaumer, Riva; Balestra; Martschini, Kovar, Duke; Eder, Michaelis, Biasca; Simion, Wingerli, Sheen; Allenspach, Leuenberger, Suri; Derungs. Entrepreneur: Dan Tangnes.
Penalties: 5 x 2′ against Lausanne; 6 x 2′ against Zug.
Notes: Lausanne sans Haapala, Perrenoud (injured), Thévoz, Jelovac, Kenins, Kovacs, Bougro, Fuhrer, ni Méméteau (surnuméraires). Zoug sans O’Neill, Stadler, Hofmann, Hansson, Bengtsson, Geisser (injured), Vogel, ni Robin (Swiss League).