One of the strong Lausanne Finns: Ahti Oksanen celebrates his goal for 3:0
Image: Keystone
Man of the match with two goals and two assists: Antti Suomela
Image: Keystone
Fribourg-Gottéron's frustration runs deep after their third defeat in a row and their exit from the semi-finals: Auich Linden Vey missed too many chances
Image: Keystone
Solidary defense: Lausanne's goalie Kevin Pasche (right) and captain Joël Genazzi also did a great job
Image: Keystone
Overrun by the Finns' power: Fribourg's defense with goalie Reto Berra fought in vain against Antti Suomela's scoring instinct and assertiveness
Image: Keystone
One of the strong Lausanne Finns: Ahti Oksanen celebrates his goal for 3:0
Image: Keystone
Man of the match with two goals and two assists: Antti Suomela
Image: Keystone
Fribourg-Gottéron's frustration runs deep after their third defeat in a row and their exit from the semi-finals: Auich Linden Vey missed too many chances
Image: Keystone
Solidary defense: Lausanne's goalie Kevin Pasche (right) and captain Joël Genazzi also did a great job
Image: Keystone
Overrun by the Finns' power: Fribourg's defense with goalie Reto Berra fought in vain against Antti Suomela's scoring instinct and assertiveness
Image: Keystone
Just like last year, Lausanne and the ZSC Lions will face each other in the National League play-off final. The qualification winners won game 7 of the semi-final against Fribourg-Gottéron 5:1 at home.
12.04.2025, 22:35
13.04.2025, 00:30
SDA
An Antti Suomela in outstanding form, a strong Kevin Pasche in goal and the better quality in finishing secured the qualification winners Lausanne a place in the final at the last opportunity. After the early 1:0, Fribourg-Gottéron pressed vehemently for the equalizer, but were thwarted by the Finns Suomela and Ahti Oksanen.
After just 152 seconds - and after an early penalty against Sandro Schmid - Suomela magisterially set Damien Riat free in superior numbers, who scored to make it 1:0. The first goal was not often decisive in this evenly matched semi-final series between the first and sixth-placed teams in the qualifiers, but this time it gave Lausanne the necessary composure in the naturally sold-out home cauldron.
Preliminary decision in the middle third
In the middle third, Suomela got away with a pass from Théo Rochette, energetically beat Jecker and beat goalie Reto Berra with a perfect high corner shot. In the 38th minute, Oksanen made it 3:0 after another brilliant pass from Suomela, who only really got going towards the end of these semi-finals. The Vaud team, who defended very solidly, did not allow any more than the 3:1 by Kevin Etter from a rather fortuitous action, and Suomela then scored into the empty net to make it 4:1.
Lausanne thus achieved a major turnaround after trailing 3:1 and, as against the SCL Tigers in the quarter-finals, won a seventh game at home. Gottéron coach Lars Leuenberger had reacted to the two defeats by moving Sandro Schmid to the center position on the first line for the first time since he took over in December, where Lucas Wallmark, who had been injured since the second game, was sorely missed.
Wallmark's goals were missing
The measure did not work because the Fribourg team was not cold-blooded and efficient enough in front of the opposing goal. The biggest offenders were, not for the first time, Christoph Bertschy, Jakob Lilja and Linden Vey. In the last three games, in each of which they had the chance to reach the playoff final, they managed just one goal each.
As a result, Lausanne and the ZSC Lions are in the final, just like last year, but this time with home ice advantage for the Vaud team. It is no coincidence that these are the two teams with the largest squads. This is the first time since 2000 and 2001 (ZSC vs. Lugano) that the same teams have reached the final twice in a row. Back then, the Zurich team won both...
Telegram:
Lausanne - Fribourg-Gottéron 5:1 (1:0, 2:0, 2:1)
9600 spectators (sold out). - Referees Wiegand/Borga, Altmann/Gnemmi. - Goals: 3rd Riat (Suomela, Bayreuther/powerplay goal) 1:0. 28th Suomela (Rochette, Frick) 2:0. 38th Oksanen (Suomela) 3:0. 45th Etter (Rathgeb, Jecker) 3:1. 56th Suomela (Marti) 4:1 (into the empty net). 59. Rochette 5:1 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 5 times 2 minutes against Lausanne, 6 times 2 minutes against Fribourg-Gottéron. - PostFinance top scorers: Suomela; Sörensen.
Lausanne: Pasche; Sklenicka, Bayreuther; Glauser, Marti; Vouardoux, Frick; Fiedler, Genazzi; Riat, Suomela, Oksanen; Pajuniemi, Kahun, Fuchs; Rochette, Jäger, Prassl; Rüegsegger, Benjamin Bougro, Jordann Bougro.
Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Sutter, Jecker; Diaz, Borgman; Rathgeb, Gunderson; Seiler; Sörensen, Schmid, Lilja; Bertschy, Vey, Nicolet; Sprunger, Walser, Dorthe; Etter, Ljunggren, Mottet; Gerber.
Remarks: Lausanne without Bozon, Hammerer, Heldner, Holdener, Hügli, Kuokkanen, Pilut, Raffl (all injured) and Perlini (supernumerary foreigner), Fribourg-Gottéron without De la Rose, Dufner, Marchon, Streule and Wallmark (all injured). Fribourg-Gottéron without a goalkeeper from 55:21 to 55:49 and 56:08 to 58:21.
