The Jokers will still have to wait before securing their ticket to the Magnus League semi-finals. After three wins in three games, Cergy-Pontoise was unable to get a fourth consecutive success against Gap on Sunday evening. Success which would have been synonymous with qualification. After a final penalty shootout, the Raptors won at home at the Alp’Arena, and came back to 3-1.
Like this series, whose score did not reflect, before this evening, the close duel between the two formations, the meeting of the day did not lack twists. It was first Pierre-Charles Hordelalay who gave the advantage to Cergy-Pontoise from the 10th minute (0-1).
The Gapençais stayed in the game, and equalized in the second period, through the intermediary of the American Chad Langlais (1-1). But the reaction of the Cergyssois was quick. Before the end of the third period, Louis Petit restored the advantage to his team (1-2), before Les Rapaces responded in the last period, with a goal from Romain Gutierrez (2-2). The two teams really went blow for blow, and while Thomas Suire thought to qualify his team in the last minutes, a double from Romain Gutierrez in the last moments finally brought the two teams into extra time.
Next home match for Cergy
A third extension in four games, which this time saw no team find the fault. It was finally after the penalty shootout, and thanks to a final penalty from the Slovenian Bostjan Golicic, that Gap won the victory, and temporarily saved its place in these final stages.
It will therefore take an additional victory to allow the Cergyssois to interfere in the last four of this Magnus League. Fourth in the regular season, Cergy-Pontoise wants to hold its rank against Gap, 5th. The Jokers will try to finish the job at home this Wednesday, at Aren’Ice, from 8:30 p.m.