After an encounter played at a frenetic pace, the Nice Eagles secured a satisfactory victory against the Angers Dukes (3-1). Caught cold from the first minute of play, Marc-André Lévesque’s men showed character to turn the tide.
Almost a week after their defeat in Chamonix, the Nice Eagles hosted the Angers Dukes this Friday evening at the Jean-Bouin ice rink. This same team that had eliminated them last March during the playoffs and had ended the Nice dreams.
In a sold-out ice rink, the locals had only one goal: to redeem themselves to their supporters. Nice players coming off two consecutive defeats and sitting in 6th place before the match.
Difficult start for the Nice team. Caught off guard from the first minute, on a lightning counter concluded by Orrin Centazzo, well served by Philippe Halley, the Nice Eagles experienced a nightmarish home start. But far from collapsing, the Azurians showed character and took advantage of an Angers penalty to gather their wits and impose strong pressure. Rewarded in the 5th minute, Alexandre Gagnon leveled the two teams with a poacher’s finish, capitalizing on a rebound with assists from Fletcher Anderson and Samuel Régis. In a first period played at a frenetic pace, the puck going both ways, Nice could count on an imperial Alexis Shank in goal, as has been the case many times since the start of the season, author of several decisive saves, notably in the 9th and 18th minute, the Nice goaltender allowed his team to resist the Angers Dukes’ attacks in numerical superiority at the end of the period and to return to the locker room at a logical tie (1-1).
The Nice Eagles in command
Transformed upon return from the locker room, the Eagles took the measure of their opponent in this second period. From the first minute, Alexandre Gagnon set the tone by just missing the Angers goalie after a nice recovery. More dangerous and better organized, Marc-André Lévesque’s men cashed in their dominance in the 11th minute thanks to Henrik Rommel, whose goal was validated after video replay review (2-1 for the home side). A turning point in this match where the two goalies then traded blows, as Alexis Shank prevented the Angers equalization, his counterpart saved several breakaway chances against repeated assaults from the Nice players.
Despite a strong pace and fine physical intensity, particularly on the power play, Nice failed to break through, running into solid defense from the Angers Dukes. Always unshakeable in his cage as the whistle approached, Alexis Shank sealed the Azurian advantage, allowing the Nice Eagles to return to the locker room ahead on the scoreboard and tackle this final third period in the best possible way.
In the final act, Marc-André Lévesque’s men showed exemplary tactical maturity. During the first ten minutes, the game balanced out without the Azurian defense conceding real scares. Applied and rigorous, the Nice players kept the Dukes at bay while relying on an Alexis Shank at his best, once again decisive in money-time thanks to several key interventions five minutes from the end. Forced to take all risks to get back on the scoreboard, the Angers players gave it their all by pulling their goalie late in the game. A risky move immediately punished, as Teemu Loizeau first missed his shot into an empty net, Alexandre Gagnon showed surgical precision 30 seconds before the final horn to seal the match and score a brace. Following a polished performance, Nice wins (3-1). The Nice Eagles regain a taste for victory after two consecutive defeats.
“ When you come to Nice, it’s not an easy game
For their part, the Eagles did not hide their relief at the final whistle. Marked by two consecutive defeats against Rouen and Chamonix, the locals owed their fans redemption. “This victory feels good, but especially the manner is satisfying”, rejoiced coach Marc-André Lévesque. Despite the Angers team’s early opening goal due to “a small lapse of attention”, the Nice players never panicked. “It showed we had a lot of character. We weren’t thinking about the score, we just wanted to play the right way, not cheat”, emphasized Nice striker Teemu Loizeau. A bounce-back that is the result of a week of intense work and beneficial internal refocusing. “The loss in Chamonix and the one from Rouen here were unacceptable, we really got into them to pass the message”, acknowledged the Azurian coach. A reminder perfectly understood by his men: “The 20 players fielded showed that when you come to Nice, it’s not an easy game”, concluded Loizeau.
After this new home victory, the Nice Eagles remain 6th in the standings and will need to confirm tonight’s victory next week in Grenoble. Kick-off next Friday at 8:15 p.m.
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