This match of the 34th day of Ligue Magnus was supposed to mark a turning point in the race for playoffs. Unfortunately, the Nice Eagles missed the curve against Cergy-Pontoise.
The eighth against the ninth, it was the evening’s fixture at the Jean Bouin ice rink. In the role of the hunter, the Cergy-Pontoise Jokers came off a heavy defeat in Rouen. On the other side, the Eagles were in the role of the hunted, having gained full confidence last week. A sentiment shared by Ondrej Kopta before the match: “The game against Cergy is very important for us. We need to confirm the game against Bordeaux where we played very well. We will do our utmost to take the three points which will help us in our race for the playoffs.”
In terms of the desire to do well, there was nothing to criticize. The Eagles start the match well. With an attack in remission, the team lacks confidence as it did at the end of 2024. This becomes apparent quite quickly. Despite the support of the 1,000 spectators in attendance, the Azuréens struggle to capitalize on their offensive phases. The Jokers, however, have fewer doubts. After a quarter of an hour of play, Tyler Welsh finally finds the gap. Cergy leads (0-1).
Tyler Welsh makes the Eagles bend
The second act will not change much on the scoreboard. However, it will trouble the heads of the Niçois. With no less than 18 attempts, Frantisek Stolc’s players do not regain confidence… Nonetheless, the extraordinary performance of the Jokers’ goalkeeper, Sebastian Ylonen with 45 saves, should be highlighted!
It’s enough to lose hope… Yet, Adam Raska rekindles the flame at the beginning of the third period. We think then that anything is still possible. Nice presses like it did in the previous period and even takes all the risks at the end of the match. Risks that do not pay off, as Tyler Welsh takes advantage three minutes before the end of the match to give his side the lead again (1-2). No more choices left, they must throw their last strength into battle and attempt one last gamble by pulling Conrad Molder. It’s not enough, and Cergy-Pontoise’s luxury Joker, Tyler Welsh, takes the opportunity to offer his team a third goal, sealing the score of the match and marking his personal third goal of the evening.
Nice, therefore, falls (1-3) and loses its eighth qualifying place for the playoffs to its evening’s adversary. All is not lost, as both teams are now tied on points with 41 points each, but they must now be impeccable to hope to qualify for a second consecutive year. This will require a mandatory victory at Briançon next Tuesday. Kick-off at 8 PM.
