The first decisions in the play-in of the ice hockey championship have been made. EV Zug are through to the play-offs, while EHC Biel's season ends in Bern.
14.03.2026, 22:21
SDA
Zug was no longer in danger after Thursday's 5:2 home win in Rapperswil. The Zug team took an early lead and could afford a 2-1 defeat in the end. The Bern duel was more exciting: Schlittschuhclub Bern followed up their 4-3 defeat in the first leg with a 4-0 win at home.
Zug will face either HC Davos (if the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers still progress) or HC Fribourg-Gottéron (if Bern progress) in the quarter-finals, which begin on Friday. Bern and the Lakers will face each other in a second best-of-2 series starting Monday.
Müller's goals
Schlittschuhclub Bern managed to turn things around against Biel in the second period. After a goalless first period, forward Marco Müller (23rd) and defenceman Hardy Häman Aktell (36th) scored to make it 2-0. 20 seconds before the second break, Marco Lehmann possibly even scored a third goal. Because the puck could not be seen in the catching glove of Biel goalie Harri Säteri in the controversial sequences, the referees had no other option but to rule "no goal" despite all the evidence.
This kept Biel in the game at least until the 50th minute. With a goal in this phase of the game, the Seelanders could have brought themselves back on level terms in the blitz series. However, Marco Müller dashed Biel's hopes with his second goal to make it 3:0. The 32-year-old Müller turned out to be the match-winner with his two goals for 1:0 (with the penalty shown) and 3:0. He had only scored once during the entire qualifying campaign: On October 25 away in Freiburg.
Victor Ejdsell made it 4-0 with two and a half minutes to go, scoring into an empty net just seconds after Christian Dubé's timeout.
Zug in command
EV Zug was never in danger of losing the three-goal lead from the first leg in Rapperswil. The Lakers got off to a flying start, creating the first goal after ten seconds and three great scoring chances in the first 150 seconds. However, the Zug team took the lead in the 7th minute through Colin Lindemann. The Lakers would have needed five goals to advance.
The 2nd round of the play-in begins on Monday with the first leg between SC Bern (9th) and the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers (7th). The second leg takes place two days later in St. Gallen.
Telegrams
Bern - Biel 4:0 (0:0, 2:0, 2:0)
16243 spectators. - SR Wiegand/Piechaczek (GER), Humair/Steenstra (CAN). - Goals: 23rd Marco Müller (Scherwey) 1:0. 36th Häman Aktell (Rhyn) 2:0. 50th Marco Müller (Scherwey, Marchon) 3:0. 58th Ejdsell 4:0 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 6 times 2 minutes against Bern, 5 times 2 minutes against Biel. - PostFinance top scorers: Ejdsell; Hofer.
Bern: Reideborn; Loeffel, Lindholm; Untersander, Rhyn; Füllemann, Häman Aktell; Kindschi, Kreis; Merelä, Aaltonen, Alge; Ejdsell, Graf, Lehmann; Marchon, Marco Müller, Scherwey; Schild, Ritzmann, Moser.
Biel: Säteri; Hultström, Zryd; Dionicio, Blessing; Burren, Stampfli; Christen; Rajala, Andersson, Hofer; Sallinen, Haas, Sever; Sylvegard, Cajka, Kneubuehler; Sablatnig, Nicolas Müller, Neuenschwander; Bärtschi.
Remarks: Biel without Grossmann (injured) and Huuhtanen (extra foreigner). Biel without a goalkeeper from 57:02 to 57:26 and 58:07 to 58:31.
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers - Zug 2:1 (0:1, 1:0, 1:0)
6019 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Tscherrig, Schlegel/Altmann. - Goals: 7. Lindemann (Eggenberger) 0:1. 39. Jensen (Capaul, Fritz) 1:1. 54. Fritz (Jensen, Moy) 2:1. - Penalties: 1 x 2 minutes against Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, none against Zug. - PostFinance top scorers: Moy; Kubalik.
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers: Nyffeler; Pilut, Maier; Capaul, Larsson; Jelovac, Dufner; Kellenberger; Strömwall, Rask, Wetter; Zangger, Taibel, Lammer; Fritz, Moy, Jensen; Hofer, Albrecht, Graf; Hornecker.
Zug: Genoni; Bengtsson, Tobias Geisser; Diaz, Sklenicka; Schlumpf, Riva; Wey, Stadler; Herzog, Kovar, Kubalik; Künzle, Tatar, Hofmann; Vozenilek, Senteler, Truog; Lindemann, Leuenberger, Eggenberger.
Remarks: Rapperswil-Jona Lakers without Dünner (injured), Honka and Maillet (both surplus foreigners), Zug without Balestra, Martschini, Wingerli (all injured) and Lilja (surplus foreigner). Rapperswil-Jona Lakers without goalkeeper from 56:29.
