Antoine Gilbert should have found himself on the bench of the Cergy-Pontoise Jokers to encourage his teammates this Tuesday evening for the first match of the semi-final of the playoffs – best of 7 rounds – of the Magnus League against the champions of France in title Grenoble. Only 22 years old (he celebrated them on January 23)the chubby-faced goalkeeper was indeed confined at the start of the season to a role as an understudy for the holder Sebastian Ylönen.
But, the goalkeeper of the France team suffered an ankle injury on January 10 during a regular season match against… Grenoble. Antoine Gilbert, who had played only one Magnus League match in the colors of Amiens, was then propelled to number one.
“A calm boy who works well”
“Sebastian was not supposed to be injured for so long, but we then learned that his unavailability was going to be longer than expected,” he says. I was the first disgusted for him. Now it’s sport and it can happen to me too. The coach then trusted me. Playing didn’t scare me because it’s been my goal since I was little to be able to evolve at the highest level, but there was an unknown factor in being able to chain matches. I work hard to make it go well. If I had played two average matches in a row, I would have been told: Listen, you’re not doing the job, we’re going to recruit someone. »
Despite his inexperience, the young goalkeeper produced remarkable performances with a percentage of saves on shots of 92%. In his presence, his team won 15 of the last 20 games, i.e. 75% victory. His efficiency in goals, both individual and collective, did not weaken during the quarter-final of the playoffs against Gap (4 wins against one).
“These are good stats, I’m happy but I have a team that helps me a lot, he said humbly. My teammates sometimes make the shots I take easy to stop. “Antoine is a calm boy who works well, says his trainer Jonathan Paredes. A good goalkeeper is essential for a successful team. He plays at least 60 minutes and carries the defensive responsibilities which are quite important. »
Sébastian Ylönen continues his recovery and could perhaps make his return in the Cergyssois goals by the end of the season. In the meantime, he doesn’t hesitate to guide his young team-mate: “We make videos together the day and day after the match, says Antoine Gilbert. Sebastian gives me a montage of all the saves I had to make and gives me tips and tricks to improve my game. I stay focused by taking the matches one after the other without thinking about what’s next. My objective is to do the maximum so that we win the matches. »
Revenge of an Ancient Goth
His current success is also a great revenge for the one who was not retained by his training club Amiens at the end of last season. Born in the Picardy capital, Antoine put on skates at 4 years old. At the time, his parents regularly attended the matches of the Gothics, the famous local club.
Gifted, the kid progressed before being loaned to Wasquehal (D2) in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 then to Neuilly-sur-Marne (D1) last year. After obtaining an STMG baccalaureate in 2019, he devoted himself fully to ice hockey to land a first pro contract last season. “I will resume lessons next year at a distance, probably studying commerce,” he slips.
This Tuesday, March 21, Antoine Gilbert will certainly be called upon by the attackers of the Brûleurs de Loup. Even if Grenoble is the big favorite of this series, the Jokers refuse to present themselves as an expiatory victim.
“We have a team with a lot of character, confides the one who allows himself a few indoor football or karting matches with his friends during his free time. We are competitors, we don’t want to lose. It is possible to beat Grenoble. We will play without pressure. »