SC Bern is back in the quarter-final series against Fribourg-Gottéron. The Bernese win Game 3 at home 3:2 after overtime and cut the deficit in the best-of-7 series to 1:2.
18.03.2025, 23:07
18.03.2025, 23:08
SDA
As in the first game of this Zähringen playoff derby, the decision was made after regulation time. However, the 17,031 spectators in the sold-out PostFinance Arena did not have to wait quite as long as on Friday, when Lucas Wallmark (89') scored shortly before midnight to give the visitors victory. The Czech Lukas Klok scored Bern's much-acclaimed winner in the 69th minute.
It was the first win for the SCB against their arch-rivals, having previously been beaten four times in overtime in five games.
Less than convincing reaction
As great as Bern's jubilation was at the redemptive victory, the reaction to the 3-0 loss in Freiburg on Sunday was not convincing. It remains to be seen whether the famous momentum will now change.
The Bernese, who were without their injured league top scorer Austin Czarnik, were willing to make a statement with their physical presence right from the start, but Fribourg reacted calmly and took the lead in the 15th minute on the power play through captain Julien Sprunger.
Gottéron with (too) many penalties
However, Fribourg's penalties allowed SCB to get back into the game. Marco Lehmann (25') equalized the score at 1:1 during a five-minute overtime situation after Andreas Borgmann was excluded from the game for a rough check on Marc Marchon in the boards. Fabian Ritzmann (44) gave Bern the 2:1 lead a few seconds after a penalty against Jakob Lilja had expired.
It was thanks to Yannick Rathgeb that SCB ultimately had to go into overtime in their second home playoff game. The national defenseman tied the game at 2-2 with one and a half minutes left in regulation time, shortly after Fribourg goalie Reto Berra had made a brilliant save against Marc Marchon to prevent Bern from securing an early victory.
Telegram
Bern - Fribourg-Gottéron 3:2 (0:1, 1:0, 1:1, 1:0) n.V.
17'031 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Ruprecht, Cattaneo/Humair. - Goals: 15. Sprunger (Schmid, Sörensen/powerplay goal) 0:1. 25. Lehmann (Vermin, Baumgartner/powerplay goal) 1:1. 44. Ritzmann 2:1. 59. Rathgeb 2:2 (no goalkeeper). 69. Klok (Loeffel, Ejdsell) 3:2. - Penalties: 8 times 2 minutes against Bern, 7 times 2 plus 5 minutes (Borgman) plus playing time (Borgman) against Fribourg-Gottéron. - PostFinance top scorers: Merelä; Wallmark.
Bern: Reideborn; Untersander, Nemeth; Loeffel, Klok; Matewa, Kreis; Kindschi, Füllemann; Lehmann, Baumgartner, Scherwey; Merelä, Aaltonen, Ejdsell; Schild, Ritzmann, Marc Marchon; Bader, Vermin, Moser.
Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Diaz, Jecker; Sutter, Streule; Rathgeb, Gunderson; Seiler; Sörensen, Wallmark, Schmid; Sprunger, Walser, Nathan Marchon; Bertschy, Vey, Lilja; Nicolet, Borgman, Gerber; Mottet.
Remarks: Bern without Czarnik, Aktell, Lindholm and Ryser (all injured), Fribourg-Gottéron without De la Rose, Dufner, Etter (all injured) and Ljunggren (supernumerary foreigner). Fribourg-Gottéron without a goalkeeper from 58:17 to 58:27.
