EHC Basel
Cup victory in the last second: EHC Basel wins the first real title in its club history
EHC Basel wins the cup final against EHC Olten in extremis 3:2 and wins the first trophy in professional ice hockey since 2005. Captain Brett Supinski saves the Basel team in Lucerne shortly before the final siren.
Even before the game, the atmosphere in the narrow ice center in Lucerne was excellent. The EHC Basel fans welcome their team with a choreography.
Image: freshfocus
The Basel fans were still annoyed about Oltner’s late equalizer so shortly before the end, until Captain Brett Supinski sent the EHC Basel into ecstasy. Two minutes before the end of the final in the National Cup, he came to the end in the scrum and scored past the strong Oltner goalkeeper Dominic Nyffeler for a 3-2 victory. Seconds later he is buried under his cheering teammates. The Basel fans are now showing a lot of skin in the ice rink. The jubilation is understandable after 19 years without a title in professional ice hockey and with the hopes of an entire city to find its place on the ice hockey map again. The fact that only the Swiss League teams and the amateur teams play in the National Cup, and therefore the big chunks from the National League are missing, should not diminish what has been achieved.
The celebrations are likely to last for a while, as Vincenzo Küng says with the trophy under his arm: “The way everyone is drinking from this trophy, it could be a long night.” Coach Eric Himelfarb has no objection to that either, as he admits with the typical English curse words.
EHC Basel wins a trophy in professional ice hockey for the first time in 19 years.
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Two hours before the start of the game, EHC Basel relieved its fans for the first time via its social media channels with the news that Himelfarb could count on all of its players again. Yannik Sablatnig, who has played for SC Bern in the last few days, as well as Tyler Higgins, Marco Cavalleri, Santiago Näf and Nicolas Warmbrodt did not make it onto the match sheet.
The cauldron in the hockey province
In the narrow ice center in Lucerne, which was well filled with 2,715 fans, the two fan camps shouted insults across the ice, where the trophy stood in the middle. The desire of both clubs. In addition, the Olten and Basel choreographies showed. On the Oltner side, a train passed the last hurdle in the form of EHC Basel, while the Basel team stuck to the coat of arms with the basilisk. The people of Olten made their voices heard in the majority with their loud support. Only when the national anthem was sung did the fan camp allow themselves a short verbal breather.
EHC Olten, who are enjoying strong form after coach Gary Sheehan took office in mid-January, started the game strongly and put Basel under pressure. With the first power play, Basel itself was able to set its first example, although top scorer Jakob Stukel was unable to capitalize on their biggest chance when he failed to hit the puck one meter in front of the goal. From then on it became a balanced game with chances on both sides. In Basel’s second power play, defender Cédric Aeschbach took courage and almost scored from the blue line. After Jules Sturny threw himself at his opponent, the Basel team had to defend their third lead with even more effort when they were outnumbered.
Olten also got off to a better start in the middle third. Andri Henauer, who stood in goal for birthday boy Fabio Haller, repeatedly maintained Basel’s lead. But Alban Rexha missed the biggest chance when he was able to move towards the Oltner goal alone, but found his master in Nyffeler. Practically in return and with Supinski in the penalty box, Stanislav Horansky scored the equalizer from a central position.
The EHC Basel celebrates the cup victory with the fans who traveled to Lucerne.
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A crazy finale in a crazy finale
All the fans who spent the start of the final third at the refreshment stands missed a brilliant start. Stukel had the opportunity to put his team back in the lead with a penalty, but failed because of Nyffeler, much to the delight of the Olten fans a few meters behind. Soon afterwards, the Basel fans cheered because Sturny scored for the Basel team on Ueli Huber’s clever cross pass into the goal of Nyffeler, who had been outplayed. Stukel said after the game: “I’ll have to give Sturny one.” One or two people from Basel may have already seen their hand on the trophy when Dominic Weder sent the Olten fans into ecstasy. From the turn he scored the equalizer three minutes before the end. The cheering shouldn’t last too long.
There is huge relief when Brett Supinski scores the winning goal shortly before the final siren.
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After winning their first title in 19 years, EHC Basel can now attack the playoffs with confidence. Visp is a strong opponent on paper who will face Basel in the quarter-finals from February 13th. If EHC Basel manages to carry on the euphoria, they could even celebrate another title win. They got a taste for it on Sunday evening.
Basel – Olten 3:2 (1:0, 0:1, 2:1)
Ice Center, Lucerne. – 2715 spectators. – SR: Gerber, Ruprecht. – Goals: 14. Aeschbach (Brügger) 1:0, 31. Horansky (Tufto, Knellwolf) 1:1, 46. Sturny (Huber, Brügger) 2:1, 57. Weder (Sterchi) 2:2, 59. Supinski (Grief) 3:2.
EHC Basel: Henauer (ET: Haller); Füllmann, Nater; Bircher, Rouiller; Zuber, Aeschbach; Bachofner; Stukel, Supinski, Huber; Foot, Kummer, Küng; Sturny, Brügger, Ryser; Liniger, Rexha, Hüsler; Schaub.
EHC Olten: Nyffeler (ET: Rötheli); Elsener, Hächler; Wyss, Antonietti; Schmuckli, Ganz, Burger, Oejdemark; Horansky, Tufto, Beauchemin; Sterchi, neither, player; Knellwolf, Melnalksnis, Jabola; Rehak, Ness, De Nisco.
Remarks: Basel without Sablatnig (SC Bern), Higgins, Cavalleri, Näf, Warmbrodt (supernumerary).