Wiler beats Falun in the “Clash of the Titans” — 02.10.2014

SV Wiler-Ersigen against IBF Falun was the expected top game. After several changes on the lead it was finally the Swiss champions who won the game 6-5.

It could have been called the "Clash of the Titans“, the duel between the Swedish champions and title defending IBF Falun and Swiss champions SV Wiler-Ersigen. The first period started intensely and on a very high level of speed. Wiler-Ersigen got the first chance to make a goal through a powerplay in 4^thminute. The two minutes were almost down when Patrick Mendelin succeeded after his own rebound. After the early minutes both teams had their chances to score. One shift belonged to Falun, the next one to Wiler and so on. It was left to defender Emil Johansson who scored to tie the score. Still the game remained open with opportunities on both sides and some nice saves of the goalkeepers. When Falun got a powerplay in the14^th minute it was Alexander Galante-Carlström who scored with one of his famous – and notorious amongst goalkeepers – wrist-shots for the 2:1 lead. Shortly after that Wiler´s Christoph Hofbauer played one bad opening pass and Falun´s Alexander Hallén and Jonas Svahn profited from the opportunity to score the 3:1 lead to the first break.

Wiler dominated second period scoring

Whatever Wiler´s coach Johan Schönbeck told his players during the break, it worked out perfectly. After only 41 seconds it was again Patrick Mendelin who scored – generously supported by Falun´s Goalkeeper Johan Rehn. Afterwards it was all Wiler´s game. The Swiss team intensified its forechecking and in the 32nd and 33rd minutes they scored twice after brilliant steals of their wings, first Nicolas Berlinger after a superb assist of captain Philipp Fankhauser and than again Mendelin with his third personal goal. Wiler was in the zone now.They got away with a boxplay and seconds before the second break defender Henrik Olofsson made his mark on the scoreboard to give his team a surprising 5-3 lead at the second break. 

A ride on the emotional roller coaster

Of course this game was far from being over and in 44^th minute it was captain Rasmus Enström who scored his first goal of the game. The Swedish champions didn´t like to be challenged by Wiler and forced its first line with power shooter Johansson and the duo Enström and Galante-Carlström. In the 53rd minute another two-minute-penalty against Wiler was the big chance for Falun to even the score out, but the Swiss champions played a very good boxplay and goalkeeper Samuel Zimmermann saved once miraculously. Just moments after the end of the powerplay Wiler got the next, very strictly decided, two-minute-penalty for playing with the hand. This time the Swiss team was lucky that Galante Carlström´s one-timer only hit the bar. In the last two minutes of the game Falun tried its luck with a six against five powerplay – and this time they succeeded to tie the game up with just a few minutes left on the clock. But still, it was not over. This time it was a tough decision against Falun which saw a penalty shot awarded to Wiler and Finnish national player, Tatu Väänänen, showed a cool-head to neatly snap the ball into the net. It was the final decision to the 6:5 victory of Wiler against Falun.

Best Players:
Wiler: Nr. 50 Patrick Mendelin
Falun: Nr. 7 Rasmus Enstrom

(Photos: MichaelPeter/André Burri)
More photos from the match by Michael Peterand André Burri can be found on IFFFlickr.