Angers triumph in semifinal thriller against HK Mogo

The opening day of the Continental Cup semifinals saw French side ASG Angers Les Ducs host Latvian champions HK Mogo Riga at a sold-out IceParc arena, with 2,817 fans witnessing a thrilling 6-4 victory for the home team. Mogo arrived in France fresh off a first-round group win, bolstered by new acquisition, defenseman Niks Fenenko, who joined from Jokerit Helsinki last week.

From the first puck drop, the game followed the expected pattern: Angers pressing in attack, while the experienced Latvians—led by national team captain Kaspars Daugavins and Gints Meija—focused on disciplined defense and counterattacks. The first period remained tightly contested, with few clear chances thanks to strong defensive work on both sides.

The deadlock was broken in a flash: in just 24 seconds, Angers struck twice. At 17:57, Finnish defenseman Jere Rouhiainen unleashed a powerful shot from distance, followed by Neil Manning’s precise diagonal finish off a Vincent Llorca pass at 18:21. Latvian goalie Karlis Mezsargs appeared caught off-guard on both goals.

The second period opened with a Mogo burst. Deivids Sarkanis scored just 50 seconds in, followed by Kaspars Daugavins’ power-play goal three minutes later to tie the game at 2-2. Angers seemed stunned, managing few dangerous chances in the middle portion of the period. But a Mogo error allowed Kale Kerbashian to set up Orrin Centazzo for a goal at 31:51, restoring the hosts’ lead. Moments later, Mogo capitalized again on a power play, with Sarkanis scoring his second to level the score at 3-3.

The third period was a decisive turning point. Angers struck twice on the power play: Jonathan Charbonneau intercepted Fenenko’s puck and scored at 47:03 on the shorthanded break, followed by Nicolas Ritz’s strike during another Mogo mistake. Mogo’s energy waned, and their play became disorganized. Late in the period, Kaspars Zieminš scored at 59:10 during a goalie-less attack, and Daniel Viksten sealed the 6-4 result with an empty-net goal at 59:56.

Despite Mogo’s valiant comeback attempts, Angers’ power-play efficiency (3 PPGs) and opportunistic finishing proved decisive. The Latvian squad will need a tactical overhaul for the return leg if they hope to overturn the deficit.

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