HC Ajoie gets off to a false start in the league qualifiers against Swiss League champions Visp. The team from Jura lost its first home game at the witching hour 2:3 after overtime.
02.04.2025, 00:19
SDA
Jacob Nilsson, the 31-year-old Swedish forward from EHC Visp, decided the game after 100:53 minutes at the start of the third overtime shortly after midnight. Only six playoff games in Switzerland have lasted longer.
Nilsson had already scored the 2:1 for Visp. It was the fourth time since February that Nilsson had scored two goals in one game. Swiss League champions Visp deserved their victory: the Valais team had more shots on goal than Ajoie in all overtime periods.
Visp had already led twice in regulation time. Rocco Pezzullo, a player on loan from Ambri, and Nilsson put Visp ahead. Anttoni Honka after just 39 seconds in the final period and Reto Schmutz in the 55th minute equalized for Ajoie.
Two years ago, the last time Ajoie had to contest the promotion/relegation play-off - then against La Chaux-de-Fonds - the team from the Jura lost their first home game. Back then, however, they came back from 2-0 down to win the series 4-2.
Ajoie - Visp 2:3 (0:0, 0:1, 2:1, 0:0, 0:0, 0:1) n.V.
Pruntrut. - 4034 spectators. - SR Borga/Wiegand, Obwegeser/Gurtner. - Goals: 29th Pezzullo (Burgener, Riatsch) 0:1. 41st (40:39) Honka (Devos) 1:1. 52nd Nilsson (Brüschweiler) 1:2. 55th Schmutz (Devos, Honka) 2:2. 101st (100:53) Nilsson (Brodecki, Brüschweiler) 2:3. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Ajoie, 1 time 2 minutes against Visp. - PostFinance top scorers: Devos; Brodecki.
Ajoie: Conz; Honka, Fey; Fischer, Aeschbach; Maurer, Nussbaumer; Thiry, Scheidegger; Palve, Bellemare, Pedretti; Frossard, Devos, Schmutz; Robin, Garessus, Romanenghi; Pouilly, Rundqvist, Veckaktins.
Visp: Meyer; Pezzullo, Eigenmann; Grossniklaus, Gähler; Marco Forrer, Heinen; Schwenninger, Fuchs; Riatsch, Ritz, Burgener; Brodecki, Nilsson, Brüschweiler; Nunn, Fuss, Sandro Forrer; Lurati, Mäder, Wüest.
Remarks: Ajoie without Bozon, Brennan, Nättinen, Turkulainen (all injured), Pilet (suspended), Hazen and Stukel (both overage foreigners), Visp without Ryser (injured).
