Unsprisingly, the Eagles of Nice couldn’t hold their own tonight on the ice against the Dukes of Angers. It was a one-sided match that concluded with a decisive (7-0).
The succession of matches is starting to take its toll on the Nice team’s stamina. After a convincing start to the season, the players from the Maritime Alps have just suffered their third consecutive defeat, after Bordeaux and then Briançon in the French Cup. Beyond the defeats, what is concerning is the number of goals conceded by Nice. The Eagles have conceded no less than 40 goals in twelve matches played, which is a quarter of the championship. This statistic makes the Azurean club the worst defense in the Magnus League, tied with Chamonix (who have two games in hand) and Bordeaux. And when the offense is struggling, the score can quickly become quite heavy.
Against the leader of the Magnus League, there’s no room for error. Very quickly, the Dukes find the gap thanks to Nicolas Ritz (1-0, 3rd minute). One might have thought it was just a slow start, but not at all! Angers then scores two more goals almost effortlessly. The French international defender Vincent Llorca scores his first goal of the season, followed by Romain Gutierrez. The score is heavy but not illogical (3-0). The Eagles try to react after a timeout called by Pascal Margerit. The Nice team pushes forward but fails to make the home team’s net tremble. Worse, they end up conceding a fourth goal fifteen seconds before the break, by Robin Gaborit.
The sinking continues
Without a real reaction, the Eagles of Nice concede another goal right after the intermission. Kale Kerbashian scores the fifth goal of the game, shattering the hopes of the team from Nice. The match continues without much interest. Angers manages their game, while the Nice team struggles to create any opportunities. Despite a few rare chances during power plays, Nice cannot find success.
The third period will symbolize the Eagles’ complete collapse. Surely frustrated, the visitors keep committing fouls and leave the Dukes in superiority for ten minutes! Result: two more goals, scored by Jonathan Charbonneau then Orrin Centazzo, seal the score at (7-0) for the Dukes of Angers.
The team from Nice will have to find the resources to reverse this trend. This promises to be difficult given the schedule that awaits the Eagles. Nicolas Ruel’s teammates will play three more matches in four days against Grenoble (home), Bordeaux, and Angers at home. Needless to say, the end of the month looks to be quite challenging!
A date is set this Sunday at Jean-Bouin for the reception of the Brûleurs de Loups at 5:30 PM.
