National League Champions ZSC start with a win ++ Davos loses in Ambühl's record game ++ Zug beats Lugano

SDA

17.9.2024 - 22:48

Three home and three away wins to start the National League season. The facts about the first 1st round.

Keystone-SDA

ZSC ends Biel's impressive start series

Biel started a National League season with a win seven times in a row. This impressive streak came to an end with the 3:1 home defeat against the defending champions ZSC Lions. The game was tied 1-1 until the 55th minute, when Jesper Fröden and defenseman Dean Kukan (57th) put the favorites on the road to victory with a double strike within 102 seconds.

Zug wins thanks to power play

EV Zug had the worst power play in the league in the last qualifiers. In the season opener, the team from central Switzerland took advantage of the first two overtime opportunities to make it 2:0 (10.). In the first powerplay, Dario Simion scored after 14 seconds, in the second, newcomer Mike Künzle scored after 30 seconds. Simion, who has signed a six-year contract with Lugano starting in 2025, was the first scorer of the season with his goal after 129 seconds. In the end, Zug won 3:2. The last time Lugano had started a season away from home was in 2016. Back then, too, the opponents were EVZ and the home team won with a goal difference (4:3).

Davos defeat in Ambühl's record game

Davos captain Andres Ambühl, who turned 41 last Saturday, played his 1042nd game against Kloten in the regular season of Switzerland's top league and thus caught up with record-holder Beat Gerber. Including playoffs, it was his 1262nd game, Gerber has 1269 games. Ambühl was not only on the ice, he also did the groundwork for new Canadian Adam Tambellini's 1:1 (29). In the end, however, this was only a side note. Davos lost 2:3 on penalties and conceded their eighth defeat in a row.

Lausanne wins Léman derby

Lausanne, who only lost to the ZSC Lions in the seventh final game in the spring, won the Léman derby against Genève-Servette 2-1 at home. After Teemu Hartikainen had equalized for the visitors at 1:1 in the 55th minute with an outstanding individual effort, it took just 137 seconds before 22-year-old Theo Rochette scored the much-acclaimed winner for LHC.

Ambri with a rare opening defeat

The return of Dominik Kubalik is not (yet) proving to be the cure-all for Ambri-Piotta. Despite a goal from the Czech world champion, the Leventines lost a season-opening game against the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers for the first time since 2020. Last year, they had also won 5-2 at home against St. Gallen after falling behind, but now they lost to the Lakers for the fourth time in a row. Ambri did make up a 1:3 deficit, but Nicklas Jensen was the match-winner with his second goal of the evening in overtime.

Ajoie also loses its fourth opening game since promotion

Ajoie also lost its fourth opening game since its promotion in 2021 with a 1:4 loss in Fribourg. Despite 30:7 shots on goal in Gottéron's favor in the first 40 minutes, the score was 1:1 at the second intermission. Fribourg's superiority paid off in the final period, however. Jacob De La Rose (51st), Nathan Marchon (55th) and Marcus Sörensen with a shot into the empty net (60th) made it clear.

Telegrams:

Biel - ZSC Lions 1:3 (0:1, 1:0, 0:2)

5584 spectators. - SR Tscherrig/Hungerbühler, Altmann/Duc. - Goals: 13. Balcers (Malgin, Weber) 0:1. 31. Rajala (Andersson, Säteri) 1:1. 55. Frödén (Geering) 1:2. 57. Kukan (Malgin) 1:3. - Penalties: 4 times 2 minutes against Biel, 2 times 2 minutes against ZSC Lions. - PostFinance top scorers: Rajala; Geering.

Biel: Säteri; Lööv, Zryd; Yakovenko, Stampfli; Christe, Grossmann; Christen, Schläpfer; Brunner, Andersson, Rajala; Hofer, Bärtschi, Heponiemi; Müller, Cunti, Kneubuehler; Derungs, Tanner, Bachofner.

ZSC Lions: Hrubec; Lehtonen, Geering; Weber, Kukan; Trutmann, Marti; Zehnder, Schwendeler; Frödén, Grant, Sigrist; Andrighetto, Malgin, Balcers; Rohrer, Lammikko, Riedi; Baltisberger, Henry, Baechler.

Remarks: Biel without Delémont, Haas, Reinhard, Sallinen (all injured) and Burren (sick), ZSC Lions without Hollenstein (injured) and Kinnunen (extra foreigner). Biel without goalkeeper from 58:53.

Zug - Lugano 3:2 (3:1, 0:1, 0:0)

7053 spectators. - SR Ströbel/Fonselius (FIN), Humair/Francey. - Goals: 3. Simion (Olofsson/powerplay goal) 1:0. 10. Künzle (Vozenilek, Kovar/powerplay goal) 2:0. 12. Mirco Müller (Sekac, Fazzini) 2:1. 14. Martschini (Olofsson) 3:1. 39. Joly (Carr) 3:2. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes each. - PostFinance top scorers: Kovar; Fazzini.

Zug: Wolf; Bengtsson, Geisser; Hansson, Carlsson; Schlumpf, Riva; Balestra, Stadler; Vozenilek, Kovar, Hofmann; Martschini, Olofsson, Herzog; Biasca, Senteler, Künzle; Simion, Leuenberger, Eggenberger.

Lugano: Schlegel; Hausheer, Dahlström; Aebischer, Mirco Müller; Jesper Peltonen, Alatalo; Guerra; Joly, Marco Müller, Carr; Fazzini, Zohorna, Sekac; Zanetti, Arcobello, Patry; Reichle, Canonica, Verboon; Aleksi Peltonen.

Remarks: Zug without Genoni (injured) and Wingerli (extra foreigner), Lugano without Thürkauf (suspended) and Morini (injured). Lugano without goalkeeper from 57:46.

Davos - Kloten 2:3 (0:1, 1:0, 1:1, 0:0) n.P.

3595 spectators. - SR Kaukokari (FIN)/Staudenmann, Schlegel/Bachelut. - Goals: 8. Meier (Schäppi) 0:1. 29. Tambellini (Ambühl, Ryfors) 1:1. 59. (58:16) Schäppi (Grégoire) 1:2. 60. (59:24) Ryfors (Corvi, Stransky/powerplay goal) 2:2 (without goalkeeper). - Penalty shootout: Smirnovs 0:1, Zadina 1:1; Simic -, Corvi -; Aaltonen -, Stransky 2:1; Morley -, Ryfors -; Ojamäki 2:2, Tambellini -; Zadina -, Niku 2:3. - Penalties: 5 times 2 minutes against Davos, 2 times 2 minutes against Kloten. - PostFinance top scorers: Ambühl; Steve Kellenberger.

Davos: Aeschlimann; Fora, Dahlbeck; Honka, Gross; Guebey, Barandun; Lichtensteiger; Stransky, Corvi, Zadina; Nussbaumer, Ryfors, Tambellini; Wieser, Ambühl, Knak; Frehner, Egli, Parrée; Blaser.

Kloten: Waeber; Niku, Profico; Grégoire, Wolf; Sidler, Steve Kellenberger; Steiner; Simic, Aaltonen, Audette; Ojamäki, Morley, Ramel; Meier, Schäppi, Meyer; Weibel, Diem, Smirnovs; Derungs.

Remarks: Davos without Jung (suspended), Kessler and Nordström (both injured), Kloten without Sataric and Schreiber (both injured). Davos without goalkeeper from 58:58 to 59:24.

Lausanne - Genève-Servette 2:1 (0:0, 1:0, 1:1)

9281 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Mollard, Meusy/Gurtner. - Goals: 35. Rochette (Glauser, Riat) 1:0. 55. Hartikainen (Manninen) 1:1. 57. Rochette 2:1. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Lausanne, 6 times 2 minutes against Genève-Servette. - PostFinance top scorers: Raffl; Karrer.

Lausanne: Pasche; Glauser, Bayreuther; Heldner, Frick; Sklenicka, Marti; Fiedler, Genazzi; Riat, Rochette, Oksanen; Bozon, Jäger, Raffl; Pajuniemi, Kuokkanen, Fuchs; Hügli, Bougro, Holdener.

Genève-Servette: Mayer; Vatanen, Berni; Karrer, Lennström; Le Coultre, Chanton; Jacquemet, Schneller; Praplan, Richard, Hischier; Hartikainen, Manninen, Loosli; Jooris, Spacek, Bertaggia; Maillard, Cavalleri, Völlmin.

Remarks: Lausanne without Pilut, Prassl and Suomela (all injured), Genève-Servette without Descloux, Granlund (both sick), Miranda, Pouliot and Rod (all injured). Genève-Servette without a goalkeeper from 58:26.

Ambri-Piotta - Rapperswil-Jona Lakers 3:4 (0:1, 2:2, 1:0, 0:1) n.V.

6348 spectators. - SR Dipietro/Piechaczek (GER), Cattaneo/Obwegeser. - Goals: 20th (19:42) Baragano (Strömwall) 0:1. 24th Wetter (Wick, Dünner) 0:2. 28th Maillet (Heed) 1:2. 30th Jensen (Larsson) 1:3. 36th Kubalik (Zwerger, Landry) 2:3. 58th Muggli (Grassi, Zaccheo Dotti) 3:3. 62. Jensen (Strömwall) 3:4. - Penalties: 1 x 2 plus 5 minutes (Zwerger) plus added time (Zwerger) against Ambri-Piotta, 4 x 2 plus 5 minutes (Larsson) plus added time (Larsson) against Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. - PostFinance top scorers: Grassi; Dünner.

Ambri-Piotta: Juvonen; Heed, Zaccheo Dotti; Virtanen, Pezzullo; Wüthrich, Zgraggen; Isacco Dotti; Bürgler, Heim, Pestoni; Ang, Maillet, De Luca; Zwerger, Landry, Kubalik; Grassi, Müller, Douay; Muggli.

Rapperswil-Jona Lakers: Nyffeler; Baragano, Larsson; Henauer, Maier; Jelovac, Holm; Alge, Gerber; Moy, Rask, Jensen; Wick, Dünner, Wetter; Hofer, Taibel, Zangger; Aberg, Albrecht, Strömwall.

Remarks: Ambri-Piotta without Hedlund, Kostner (both injured), Curran and Lilja (both overtime), Rapperswil-Jona Lakers without Capaul, Djuse, Lammer and Quinn (all injured).

Fribourg-Gottéron - Ajoie 4:1 (0:0, 1:1, 3:0)

9119 spectators. - Referees Hürlimann/Borga, Steenstra (CAN)/Urfer. - Goals: 28. Sprunger (Gunderson, Bertschy/power play goal) 1:0. 40. (39:41) Palve (Hazen/power play goal) 1:1. 52. De la Rose (Mottet, Rathgeb) 2:1. 55. Marchon (Borgman) 3:1. 60. (59:01) Sörensen 4:1 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 2 times 2 plus 5 minutes (Borgman) against Fribourg-Gottéron, 6 times 2 minutes against Ajoie. - PostFinance top scorers: Sprunger; Fey.

Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Diaz, Borgman; Rathgeb, Jecker; Gunderson, Streule; Seiler; Sörensen, Wallmark, Mottet; Bertschy, De la Rose, DiDomenico; Marchon, Schmid, Dorthe; Sprunger, Walser, Gerber; Binias.

Ajoie: Conz; Minder, Fey; Maurer, Nussbaumer; Fischer, Brennan; Thiry; Sopa, Romanenghi, Pedretti; Turkulainen, Palve, Nättinen; Hazen, Devos, Veckaktins; Robin, Frossard, Bozon; Rundqvist.

Remarks: Fribourg-Gottéron without Etter (injured), Ajoie without Schmutz (injured). Ajoie without goalkeeper from 56:28 to 59:53.