Although the SCL Tigers are without a chance in the Belle in Lausanne and miss the semi-finals, there are still many reasons to be proud. An impressive career comes to an end for Pascal Berger.
27.03.2025, 04:31
27.03.2025, 06:37
SDA
25 minutes into the game, Langnau keeper Stéphane Charlin called on his teammates to get back on the ice. The Emmental fan block remained in the stadium and celebrated their team, chanting "merci Langnau merci" several times. This, of course, after the SCL Tigers had gone down 2:6 in the decisive seventh quarter-final game in Lausanne, shattering their dream of reaching the National League play-off semi-finals for the first time.
Despite the bitter end, that says it all. The fans recognize the positive development Langnau has undergone since coach Thierry Paterlini and sporting director Pascal Müller took office. The two arrived three years ago. In their first season with the Tigers, the team only saved itself in the relegation playoffs against Ajoie (4:2), finished the second in 11th place in the table, and now the Emmentalers have qualified for the top league playoffs for the third time after 2011 and 2019 and demanded everything from the qualification winners Lausanne. "We can certainly be proud of that," says Pascal Müller.
Shaking up the region
What makes him most proud? "We delivered our performance under pressure in recent weeks, regardless of whether we had any absentees. The team has grown, we now have a different level of self-confidence than two or three years ago. The development of the whole organization fills me with pride. We were not only able to make the fans happy, but also shake up an entire region. However, we can't be satisfied with that, we still have to improve, we deserved to lose today. However, it would be presumptuous to talk about semi-finals in this league. But we must have the ambition to reach the playoffs every year."
The basis of the good season was a strong defense. In qualifying, only the ZSC Lions (121) conceded fewer goals than Langnau (126). Charlin became one of the best goaltenders in Switzerland in Langnau; the 24-year-old recorded a defensive save percentage of 94.43 percent over the entire season. He will now return to Genève-Servette if he does not receive a contract in the NHL. In addition to Charlin, many others made enormous progress, with Dario Rohrbach also standing out. The forward developed from a follower to an absolute leader, finishing the championship as the Tigers' top scorer.
Paterlini has played a big part in this. What sets him apart? "He comes from the junior ranks. You can see the experience he gained at U18 and U20 level. Then he came here via the Swiss League. He has good access to everyone, is emphatic, works very meticulously, can assign clear roles and has a clear plan," says Müller. "But the most important thing is that he gives the other coaches space. It's not a one-man show."
The end after 957 games
The evening was very special for Pascal Berger, for whom his career came to an end after 957 games in the top Swiss league. He made his debut in the fall of 2006 with SC Bern, with whom he became Swiss champion three times. In 2016, he moved to Langnau, where he captained the team from 2017 to 2022. Pascal Berger was a perfect fit for the Emmentalers; he wasn't one for spectacle, but a passionate worker. In the playoffs, he once again played big with three goals.
When Berger went out to the fans, his eyes were watery, but he came back with a smile on his face. "At first it overwhelmed me because I realized it was the last time. Then I saw the joy of the fans, even though we had lost," says Berger. "When I came to Langnau, the mentality was completely different, we were happy if we only lost 3-0 to ZSC instead of 5-0. Now, we're angry if we don't win. It makes me proud to have been a part of this development."
Berger, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Monday, now needs a break from ice hockey for the time being, wants to clear his head a little and spend time with his family. "I'm really looking forward to that. It was the second string for many years." However, he can certainly imagine being active in ice hockey again later on. Then he disappears into the dressing room, where there is pizza. Beer is not missing either. Despite the defeat at the end of the season, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives for the Langnau team. The fans saw it that way too.
