This meeting, part of the 24th day of the Ligue Magnus, had the feel of a rematch between the Eagles of Nice and the Boxers of Bordeaux. Victorious on Friday, the Eagles couldn’t keep up the pace in the last third.
Just two days after their shootout victory (4-3) at Jean-Bouin against Bordeaux, the Eagles of Nice faced them again tonight, but this time on the ice of the Girondins. A match that promised to be close once again and lived up to all expectations.
The Nice players quickly took control of the game. Scorer in the last match, Teemu Loizeau assisted Louis Cirgues who opened the scoring after only six minutes of play. A goal that validated the strong start by the Eagles. Both teams were evenly matched in this first act, showcasing the talents of both starting goalkeepers this evening. On the Nice side, Pascal Margerit chose to trust Isaac Charpentier. The Azurean goalie showed solid performance with eleven saves in the first twenty minutes. The match was tightly contested and both teams, under tension, were unwilling to give way, not hesitating to commit fouls. Despite several power plays on both sides, the score remained unchanged (0-1) in favor of the Eagles of Nice.
In the second period, the Nice team managed to surprise the Boxers right from their return to the ice. It only took two minutes for Hugo Nogaretto, back in the team, to complete a beautiful move initiated by Adam Nobes and Jesper Larinmaa (0-2). The match seemed to be going in favor of the Azureans, but like in the last game, Bordeaux found a breakthrough at the half-hour mark and too easily leveled the score. The Boxers managed to score two goals in two minutes, first by William Pelletier and then Jérémy Beaudry during a power play (2-2). Everything had to be redone for the Eagles of Nice in the third period.
Bordeaux found the key
Except unlike Friday’s game, Nice couldn’t get back into the match. Boosted by their crowd, the Boxers accelerated. Despite two power plays at the beginning of the period, the Eagles were no longer truly in it. The Bordelais sensed this and multiplied their offensives until once again breaking through the Maralpin goalie. Mathieu Pompéi was the first to find the gap, opening the breach (3-2). Bordeaux took the lead for the first time in the match and would not relinquish it. Loik Poudrier unleashed a powerful shot for a breakaway goal seven minutes before the end of the match. After another penalty against the Eagles, Jérémy Ouellet-Beaudry crushed the hopes of the Nice team, which soon after conceded a sixth goal from William Pelletier, who scored a double.
Final score (6-2) in favor of the Boxers of Bordeaux, who overwhelmed the Eagles in the last fifteen minutes. Despite this defeat, Nicolas Ruel’s teammates remain on the podium of the Ligue Magnus with a game in hand over most of the other teams. There is no time to dwell for the Maralpins, who have to travel to Briançon this Tuesday to play the French Cup Round of 16 before heading to face the formidable Angers Dukes on Friday night in the championship.