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Zulgtal Eagles – Visper Lions 0-4 (0-1, 0-1- 0-2)

Florian Buechting Sports Reports No Comments

There are nowadays not too many opportunities for me any more to see two or more (meaningful) floorball matches on one day when I am traveling to Switzerland. 6th January 2024 offered me the opportunity of watching two Women NLB (the second highest division) matches, both in the greater Bern area. In the first match of the day, the Zulgtal Eagles hosted the Visper Lions. The match came with a quite interesting setup, both teams struggling and fighting against a potential relegation after the 2023/24 season.

This posting comes with a section of 380 major size pictures in the sports galleries. 

Eagles – Lions – Match Report

The first minutes of the match have been very nervous, showing a lot of turnovers and poor passing on both sides of the rink. Also the referees initially had a tough time and some unlucky situations in the first minutes. You have to state, though, that Federico Castillo and Thimothee Posse found a better touch to the match in later parts of the match. Interestingly, the Raiffeisen Arena in Seftigen was majorly under control of the Visp fans, who strongly supported their team on this away tour. The match got better the longer the first period took. You had some initial shots on goal, which did not create any risk for the two netminders, though.

Visp, however, felt to be a bit in the controlling position and also profited from a power play, when Michelle Maradan was sent off for an incorrect hit behind her own goal line. Visp put up the pressure and scored in the 16th minute by Michelle Zurbriggen. Briefly thereafter, Lynn Kalbermatter took the first bench penalty for the guests – but you could see that the host team just did not have a that established concept and struggled much more in the power-play situation than their opponents right before. There was even a hit during a Visp breakaway, which I felt to be at least a two minute penalty situations. Surprisingly, there was no reaction by the referees – but also by the guest team. Thus, the one-goal lead after twenty minutes was well-deserved for the Visper Lions.

 

A Second Goal for the Visper Lions

The first minutes of the second period felt rather pleasing for the hosts. The Zulgtal Eagles felt to have a better structured game after the intermission. However, the Zurbriggen sisters, Michelle passing to Lisa drove the knife deep into the heart of the Berner Oberland team, when they converted for the second goal for their team after 24 minutes. Nonetheless, the match was less hectic. Again, the Eagles could not really show a persuading power-play, when Visp became reduced in sportswoman resources in the 30th minute. They also did poorly from a tactical perspective, lost the ball already in the defensive row and thus never created pressure.

The remaining second period was a a typical relegation fight match. The intensity got higher, but the match stayed in rather fair conditions. The Eagles just did not manage to create shots which really challenged the very persuading Carol Hugo in the Lions goal, who finally deservedly became her team’s Player of the Match.

 

Time is Ticking too quickly for the Eagles

The situation felt very similar after the teams returned from the second intermission. The Zulgtal Eagles did not feel too bad, but they just played too complicated. Visp was more straight, even though they did not do too much better in the offense. Finally, the match followed the “traditions”: a time-out for the hosts with sive minutes on the clock, pulling the goalie multiple times in the last three minutes. With 58 seconds on the clock, Alicia Kronig guaranteed the victoy for the Visper Lions by the empty netter.

The situation before was crazy. The Zulgtal Eagles were far too nervous, the several times did not even know which six players should be in the rink and when to change. The last minute of the match had two more intesting situations: Nina Kalbermatter raised the lead to a four goal one (regular goal, no empty net) and Leila Dähler, one of her team’s strongest players that afternoon, could not convert a penalty shot.

 

Eagles – Lions- My View of the Match

Finally, the match between the UH Zulgtal Eagles and the Visper Lions has been more interesting than I expected. Unfortunately, the Eagles did not feel to be well-prepared, also in regards of tactical behavior. There were too many shots out of the turn – which might be convenient, but also are just too easy for the opponents to read and to react on. Visp played a straighter match and showed just the right reactions in the right situations.

 

Eagles – Lions – Lineups

UH Zulgtal Eagles: 96 Janine Trachsel, 97 Nicole Hirschi – 7 Michelle Maradan, 8 Susanna Oberli, 10 Selina Sauer, 11 Andrea Sempach, 13 Xenia Berger, 14 Olivia Gnehm, 15 Leila Dähler, 16 Angela Streun, 17 Melina Kipfer, 18 Tamara Scheuner, 21 Andrea Wyss, 22 Nicole Wyss, 24 Nadine Hirschi, 27 Irina Schenk, 70 Saraina Würms, 77 Jasmin Rohrbach, 80 Lisa Willener, 83 Irina Sauer, 86 Gabriela Graf

UHC Visper Lions: 1 Carol Hugo – 5 Melina Zurntaugwald, 6 Michelle Zurbriggen, 7 Lisa Strahm, Laura Zurbriggen, 9 Lynn Kalbermatter, 11 Evelyn Jäger, 13 Lena Carlen, 16 Dayene Studer, 17 Alicia Kronig, 18 Natascha Imthurn, 19 Nina Kalbermatter, 20 Katharina Erpen, 21 Alyssa Grichting, 26 Shayen Brantschen, 27 Vanessa Aegerter, 51 Kim Heinzmann, 99 Fabienne Fankhauser

 

Eagles – Lions – Gallery

In the sports gallery, there is a designated major size picture gallery with 380 pictures of this match at

 

 

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