The Nice Eagles won a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Cholet after trailing for 45 minutes. The game picked up in the last quarter-hour when the Nice Hockey team found a breakthrough. This victory allows the team from Nice to finish the year at the top of Division 1 following Anglet’s defeat!
The Christmas break did not go unnoticed among the players of Nice Hockey. A lack of rhythm and aggression could be felt throughout the match. Spurred on by a large crowd despite the end-of-year festivities, the Eagles demonstrated real character in coming back to equalize and secure the win.
In the first period, the Eagles started well, creating the first opportunities without posing a threat to the Cholet Dogs. The night’s opponents defended well, high up the ice, and countered Nice’s efforts. The Eagles’ goalkeeper, Sedlacek, had to make two saves to keep his team in the game. Nice even got a scare as they fumbled their play in front of their goal. Subsequently, Cholet punished the Eagles on one of their first chances. Huberdeau took advantage of passive defense to open the scoring (0-1, 10th minute). Milan Varga made an attempt in the final seconds, but Nice entered the locker room trailing.
“These holiday matches are always complicated. This break left us sluggish. The whole team was passive, without solutions, with very few clear chances,” explained captain Aurรฉlien Macon.
The same scenario played out in the second period where Nice struck first but then struggled. An obvious lack of rhythm prevented the Eagles from fully utilizing their capabilities. Nice pushed hard but couldn’t find the back of the net, as shown by Varga hitting the post in the 27th minute. Attempts multiplied from Kubus and Koivu but were always thwarted by a stick, a foot, or Cholet’s goalkeeper, Saez. This lack of success could have been costly if not for some outstanding play by Sedlacek at the end of the period.
In the final period, penalties rained down on both sides. Within 4 minutes, Cholet received three consecutive penalties. With a 5-on-3 advantage, the Eagles took the opportunity to equalize and ignite the Jean-Bouin crowd. Andrej Brejka finished a fine play from a pass by Kubus and Varga (1-1, 47th minute). A few minutes later, the Dogs hit Sedlacek’s post, and he made three excellent saves while shorthanded. In a lightning-fast counter-attack, the prolific scorer Karri Koivu, well-served by Martin Slovak, beat Saez and gave Nice Hockey the lead (2-1, 55th minute). It was the Finnish player’s 12th goal of the season. In the closing moments, Nice stumbled and took two penalties. The Eagles had to play 3-on-5 but defended perfectly. Cholet pulled its goalie for a greater numerical advantage (6-on-4), but the gamble favored the Niรงois, who took control of the match. Milan Varga outmaneuvered a Cholet defender with a slick move and scored his team’s third goal into an empty net (3-1, 59th minute).
“It was intense! We didn’t play at our level, but we showed character by turning things around. We still have work to do this week before facing a strong Bordeaux team,” stated Aurรฉlien Macon.
The Nice Hockey’s impressive streak continued with a seventh consecutive victory and a top spot in Division 1. In the highlight match of the 17th day, Bordeaux defeated Anglet (3-2 after overtime). The Eagles thus end the year 2014 well-positioned at the top of the championship standings before traveling to Bordeaux for the 18th-day match.
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