For the 25th matchday and the last game of the year, the Eagles had to battle until the penalty shootout to overcome Gap (3-4 a.p). Let’s take a look back at a thrilling encounter that allows the Azuréens to move closer to the top of the Ligue Magnus standings.
A start to the match in Gap’s favor
You had to be in front of your television yesterday late afternoon to see the Eagles traveling to Gap to face the Raptors. Lacking rhythm right from the start, the team from Nice was shaken by a very organized and offensively precise Gap team. The latter broke through the Eagles’ defense within the first quarter of an hour. Rok Stojanovic did not stop a shot from Evan Mosey that was unstoppable. Lacking solutions, the Ligue Magnus runners-up struggled in the midfield to create chances. Against a solid Gap defense, Nice would only break through 10 minutes later with a goal by Peter Hrehorcak, well-assisted by Loïc Chabert.
Unfortunately, the tie was short-lived following a penalty to the scorer seven minutes later for tripping one of his opponents. With a numerical advantage, the locals did not hesitate and scored a second goal against a dismayed Eagles. Frustration was such that they ended the second period with two more penalties (Hrehorcak and Breton). Coming back from the locker room, Gap pulled away with another power-play goal.
Nice forces overtime at the buzzer
With an advantage they thought sufficient, the Raptors lowered their guard in the critical time and made a mistake that gave hope back to Nice. A hooking by Sherbinin gave the reds and blacks a power-play opportunity, which they seized to narrow the gap with almost 5 minutes remaining. Well-supported by Carpentier and Cepon, Emil Bagin went on to adjust the Gap goalkeeper. The score stood at 3 to 2 for the locals when Azuréen coach Stanislav Sutor decided to pull his goalie Stojanovic to create a numerical advantage in attack. The gamble paid off as, 17 seconds from the final whistle, Cepon forced overtime with a pass from Chabert.
Extra time wasn’t enough for the two teams to settle the score. During the penalty shootout, Nice’s goalkeeper gained a psychological advantage over his evening adversaries by making two saves against disheartened Raptors. Emil Bagin wrapped up the job by securing the Eagles’ victory.
With this win, Nice is now just one point behind the leader, Rouen. However, the latter has five games in hand over their runners-up, which is considerable. We will have to wait until the postponed games are caught up to have a clearer picture of the Ligue Magnus standings. The reds and blacks will return on January 3rd in Chamonix to start the second part of the season on the right foot.
