Last weekend, Servette overtook Lausanne in the National League table for the first time since September 23. After their 3-0 away win in Lausanne, the Geneva side remain number 1 on Lake Geneva. These are the facts from Wednesday's three games.
14.01.2026, 22:45
14.01.2026, 23:13
SDA
Most recently, the hierarchy in French-speaking Switzerland was different: Lausanne swept Servette 11-0 from the Malley Hall in the fall. Until a week ago, the Vaud team held 2nd place behind the sovereign leader HC Davos. In the meantime, the Lausanne team has fallen back to 5th place behind Fribourg-Gottéron (2nd), Geneva-Servette (3rd) and Lugano (4th). Lausanne have lost their last five and seven of their last eight games.
Against Servette, Lausanne failed to score a goal on home ice for the second time in a row (after the 4-0 loss to Gottéron). Only one goal was scored in the last three games (1:5 in Davos). Markus Granlund (2 goals) and Junior Simas Ignatavicius (18 years old) scored the three goals for Servette, which has won all three games against Lausanne since the 0:11 in the fall (5:3, 7:3, 3:0).
Lack of discipline
In Zug, head coach Michael Liniger can no longer rest easy. Losing seven competitive games in a row does not go down well with any team with high expectations. A lot of things looked terrible in the 3:2 defeat against Lugano. 6930 spectators are almost a season record, with many season ticket holders also staying at home. Although Zug fell behind in the first period, they only shot 16 times on HC Lugano's goal. What's more, the Zugers were extremely undisciplined. It started with a frustration foul after Zach Sanford's 0:2 (Daniel Vozenilek), David Sklenicka had to go to the showers early in the second period, and in the final period there were further penalties for too many players on the ice and another frustration foul (by Dominik Kubalik).
Lugano won deservedly and clearly. Only 22 seconds before the end did the EVZ manage to make the score 2:3.
Goalie duel
Ajoie had a spectacular goalkeeper duel against the SCL Tigers (2:1 n.p.). Damiano Ciaccio, who "witched" Langnau back into the National League ten years ago, secured HC Ajoie's first points of the new year with 41 saves and four saved penalties. For the SCL Tigers, 20-year-old Frenchman Martin Neckar was in goal for the first time in the National League. Neckar made 18 saves plus three saved penalties, but that was not enough to secure victory.
Neckar has made 18 appearances (and 8 wins) with Chur in the Swiss League so far this season. He made his debut with the Tigers because Luca Boltshauser and Robin Meyer are both out sick.
Match programs:
Lausanne - Genève-Servette 0:3 (0:0, 0:2, 0:1)
9600 spectators (sold out). - SR Kaukokari/Wiegand, Urfer/Duc. - Goals: 26. Granlund (Puljujärvi, Vesey) 0:1. 35. Ignatavicius (Pouliot, Praplan) 0:2. 59. Granlund 0:3 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 2 minutes each. - PostFinance top scorers: Czarnik; Puljujärvi.
Lausanne: Hughes; Brännström, Sansonnens; Niku, Marti; Vouardoux, Fiedler; Haas; Fuchs, Czarnik, Caggiula; Riat, Rochette, Oksanen; Hügli, Spooner, Zehnder; Prassl, Bougro, Douay; Holdener.
Genève-Servette: Charlin; Rutta, Berni; Saarijärvi, Chanton; Karrer, Le Coultre; Schneller, Sutter; Puljujärvi, Granlund, Vesey; Bozon, Pouliot, Ignatavicius; Praplan, Jooris, Akeson; Miranda, Verboon, Rod.
Remarks: Lausanne without Baragano, Heldner, Jäger, Kahun, Suomela (all injured), Genève-Servette without Brassard, Hischier, Richard (all injured) and Manninen (sick). Lausanne without a goalkeeper from 56:45 to 58:25.
Zug - Lugano 2:3 (0:1, 1:2, 1:0)
6930 spectators. - SR Piechaczek/Hungerbühler, Bachelut/Meusy. - Goals: 19th Fazzini (Sanford, Aebischer) 0:1. 33rd Sanford 0:2. 37th (36:30) Canonica (Fazzini) 0:3. 38th (37:37) Hofmann (Kubalik, Tobias Geisser) 1:3. 60th (59:38) Hofmann (Tatar, Riva) 2:3 (without goalkeeper). - Penalties: 5 times 2 plus 5 minutes (Sklenicka) plus playing time (Sklenicka) against Zug, 1 time 2 minutes against Lugano. - PostFinance top scorers: Kubalik; Fazzini.
Zug: Wolf; Sklenicka, Riva; Schlumpf, Tobias Geisser; Stadler, Mischa Geisser; Moret; Wingerli, Kovar, Kubalik; Künzle, Tatar, Hofmann; Vozenilek, Senteler, Eggenberger; Antenen, Leuenberger, Herzog; Wey.
Lugano: Schlegel; Alatalo, Müller; Aebischer, Dahlström; Carrick, Jesper Peltonen; Brian Zanetti; Simion, Thürkauf, Emanuelsson; Fazzini, Sanford, Canonica; Perlini, Tanner, Sekac; Marco Zanetti, Morini, Bertaggia; Aleksi Peltonen.
Remarks: Zug without Balestra, Bengtsson, Diaz, Fueter, Guerra and Martschini (all injured), Lugano without Kupari (injured). Zug without goalkeeper from 58:23.
Ajoie - SCL Tigers 2:1 (0:1, 1:0, 0:0, 0:0) n.P.
Pruntrut. - 3496 spectators. - SR Dipietro/Fonselius, Allenspach/Humair. - Goals: 3rd Salzgeber (Lapinskis) 0:1. 28th Devos (powerplay goal) 1:1. - Penalty shootout: Sopa -, Rohrbach -; Nättinen -, Felcman -; Friman 1:0, Paschoud -; Devos -, Petrini -; Mottet 2:0. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Ajoie, 2 times 2 minutes against SCL Tigers. - PostFinance top scorers: Honka; Rohrbach.
Ajoie: Ciaccio; Christe, Honka; Pilet, Friman; Fischer, Berthoud; Nussbaumer; Hazen, Devos, Nättinen; Sopa, Wick, Mottet; Pedretti, Romanenghi, Bozon; Cormier, Cavalleri, Veckaktins; Pouilly.
SCL Tigers: Neckar; Meier, Riikola; Kinnunen, Mathys; Paschoud, Baltisberger; Lehmann; Allenspach, Malone, Pesonen; Rohrbach, Felcman, Mäenalanen; Julian Schmutz, Flavio Schmutz, Bachofner; Petrini, Salzgeber, Lapinskis; Aeschlimann.
Remarks: Ajoie without Bellemare, Conz, Fey, Garessus, Gauthier, Keller, Patenaude, Robin and Turkulainen (all injured), SCL Tigers without Erni (sick), Björninen and Petersson (both injured).
