At the end of a match controlled from start to finish, Nice Hockey defeated Tours 5-1 and secured their ticket to the semi-finals. As soon as Wednesday, Stan Sutor’s men will return to the Jean-Bouin rink to face Anglet. A match that already promises to be explosive!
They did it, and in style. Third in the regular season, Nice Hockey had set themselves the objective of reaching the play-offs semi-finals. This has been achieved despite the minor scare on Saturday (a 3-1 defeat) that forced Nice and Tours to return this Sunday.
“The i’s dotted” right from the start
Unlike the previous day, the Eagles started the game with full force, opening the score just 53 seconds in. Perfectly set up by Lacheny then Macon, Aquin pushed the puck into Tours’ net (1-0, 1st minute). The red and black have learned their lesson and dominate the Remparts in all areas of the game. Only a post at the 16th minute is worth mentioning for Tours. Despite the few situations Tours creates, Sedlacek, the Nice goalkeeper, stands strong. The Jean-Bouin crowd doesn’t forget to applaud each save from one of their favorites. “We wanted to play on the attack right from the start. The zone exit is good, the transition too, and we score, it gives us confidence and they are under pressure,” explained captain Aurélien Macon at the end of the match.
Strong on all points
In the second period, Nice continues its work with Karri Koivu showing himself to be more enterprising than the previous day. The Eagles keep challenging the Remparts’ in-form goalkeeper, but he must concede a goal from a shot by Stefan Klimek that has the whole rink on its feet (2-0, 29th minute). Nice’s numerical disadvantages do not benefit Tours. In his net, Nice’s goalkeeper is impeccable and reassures his team. “Scoring the first goal was super important. We had to show our superiority at home. Every chance, we looked dangerous,” smiles goal scorer Samuel Aquin.
In two minutes, Nice wraps up the match
Nice Hockey starts the last period with vigor and places itself in safety. Milan Varga first scores from long distance. A shot that lands under Kubis’s crossbar (3-0, 43rd minute). In the following play, Karri Koivu capitalizes on a poorly cleared puck to give the Eagles a comfortable lead (4-0, 44th minute). The Remparts of Tours take advantage of a slight relaxation to open their tally, with a goal by Domin (4-1, 46th minute). At the very end of the period, Bohdan Visnak also joins the celebration (5-1, 56th minute). “We were determined to reach the semi-final, it’s an accomplishment. Throughout this clash, we demonstrated that we were better and deserved our spot,” rejoices Stan Sutor, the Eagles’ coach.
And now?
It’s on to the semi-final, starting Wednesday at home and continuing this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, if necessary) against Anglet, who defeated Mulhouse in three matches (4-5, 4-3, 7-2). The Eagles will not have the home advantage as the Basques finished second in the regular season. “Now it’s Anglet, there are no small adversaries in this Division 1. This qualification is a relief, but we’re going to unleash everything. It would be great to make it to the final,” says the Nice coach.
