Cortina wins thriller over Angers but falls short of Superfinals

Cortina Hafro turned what could have been a routine finale into a tense spectacle at IceParc, clinching a narrow 4-3 victory over ASG Angers Les Ducs in front of 2,846 spectators. Earlier in the day, Mogo’s win had already dashed Cortina’s hopes of advancing, meaning that even a victory over Angers wouldn’t change their third-place finish. Yet the Italian side approached the match with intensity and determination, refusing to let the stakes—or the packed crowd—dictate their play.

The game opened explosively. At 05:01, Kale Kerbashian put Angers ahead with a masterful solo effort, finding the top corner past Antti Karjalainen from a difficult angle. Just 29 seconds later, Chad Pietroniro equalized for Cortina with a power-play goal, assisted by Brandon Fortunato and Jakob Stöffling, demonstrating the Italians’ early composure under pressure. Kerbashian struck again at 13:33, converting a lightning-fast counterattack set up by Orren Centazzo to make it 2-1. Cortina responded quickly, and at 21:10 Tommaso Alverà penetrated Angers’ defense to level the score at 2-2, assisted by Luca Barnabò, who would later prove pivotal in the game.

The second period remained tight, with Angers regaining the lead at 25:00 when Ethan Cap, assisted by Centazzo and Matt Prapavessis, beat Karjalainen to make it 3-2. Cortina, playing without pressure, found the equalizer at 37:07 during a power play, when Marco Sanna’s low shot threaded through Matt O’Connor’s legs, bringing the score to 3-3. By the end of the second period, Angers had 17 shots on goal compared to Cortina’s 16, signaling a fiercely contested matchup.

In the final period, Angers pushed hard, but a brilliant pass from Luca Barnabò from his own zone found Oskari Kalajanniska completely unmarked, exploiting a defensive lapse. The Finnish forward finished cleanly at 57:57, giving Cortina a 4-3 lead. Despite pulling their goalie in the final minute to improve goal differential, Cortina held on, with Karjalainen stopping 31 of 34 shots (90.3%) while O’Connor made 25 saves on 29 shots (84.0%).

Kale Kerbashian ended the match with two goals, earning player of the match honors for Angers, while Centazzo contributed two assists. Cortina’s standout performances included Kalajanniska with a goal and an assist (+2), Barnabò with two assists (+2), and Sanna scoring the crucial equalizer in the second period.

Though the win wasn’t enough for advancement, Cortina demonstrated resilience, teamwork, and strategic composure, turning a low-stakes match into a gripping contest and leaving the IceParc crowd on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.

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