Mistakes and a free for all in Lugano

24 Mar 2016 | Davide Tuniz - photos by Marco Bertolini

In a very nervous game, an awful first period costs Lugano the second defeat at home in the semifinals series against Geneve-Servette

Lugano fans again packed Resega arena to push the team in search of the third victory in the series, to give bianconeri two match points. Until now the home-factor has never been decisive, with two victories each for visiting team. Tonight both Lugano and Servette takes the ice with notable absences: Julien Vauclair and Fredrik Pettersson for home side and Jeremy Wick, Matt D’Agostini and Cody Almond for Servette besides Noah Rod, suspended for 4 games against whose disqualification Genevans have announced an appeal.

From the begin of first period Lugano seems tired and confused on ice, especially on defense with gross mistakes and a lot of inaccuracy in attack. After having missed a penalty shot at 07:08, Lugano suffered the first goal scored by Jim Slater after nine minutes and the second shorthanded after repeatedly lost the puck, kindly given to Timothy Kast. The list of horrific mistakes rise at 18:10: no one intercept an harmless puck until the easy deflection of top scorer Kevin Romy. Fourteen seconds after the first intermission, a huge fight involved a dozen of player, caused by a charge of Maxim Lapierre on Jim Slater paralyzes the game for about 5 minutes, resulting in 10 minutes penalties for same Lapierre and Raffaele Sannitz and causing a second period very nervous with a lot of charges and tough contacts. Lugano scores the restore-hope-goal with Sebastien Reuille at minute 24, but another mistake, a wrong clearance by wavering goalie Merzlikins offer a golden chance, impossible to waste, to Damien Riat, for fourth goal. Coach Shedden pulls the Latvian goalie for back-up Daniel Manzato, trying to buoy a ship already sunk.

In the last period another fight between Sannitz, Chiesa, Lapierre and Riat, Romy was the best moment among 20 minutes with Servette controlling the reassuring advantage and Lugano unable to find the net. After the rain of penalties following the fight, Servette seals the deserving victory scoring fifth goal with Romain Loeffel and finally also the small group of fans from Geneve can make their voices heard. With some seconds to play and again players in the penalty box, Timothy Kast finds the goal number 6 to make the victory a triumph

The series, now tied 2-2, is back to Geneve in the key game number #5, this will be the right time for home fans to celebrate?

MVP: Sebastien Reuille - Kevin Romy