Host team GC beats Vitkovice — 03.10.2014

GC Zurich won its second game of the Champions Cup against Czech champions Vitkovice after an outstanding performance with 6-0.

Both teams GC and Vitkovice had the chance to advance to the semifinals. The Czech champions needed a win with two or more goals difference on the scoreboard, GC would even advance with a one goal loss. No surprise both teams started with a very high speed. Some tough duels and shots on both sides were seen in the first few minutes. It was then the Swiss team that opened the score in the 8^thminute through Linard Parli. In the following minutes Vitkovice sped up and tried to even the score out, but it was Nico Scalvinoni with a brilliant move from behind the goal who scored next. As superstar Kim Nilsson hit only the post seconds before the break the score during the first break was a 2:0 lead for GC.

GC misses to decide the game early

The story of the first half of the second period is told very quickly: GC had the control over the game most of the time but failed to score another goal. It was only when the Swiss team received a two-minute-penalty that Vitkovice got the chance to put some pressure on GC. However, during the whole two minutes there was not much danger for GC´s goalkeeper Corado Bühler. During the last one and a half minutes GC got also the chance to play a powerplay which led only to one good shot from Nilsson,  but the period ended without any goals.

GC made up for what they missed in the second period

What GC missed during the second period, they added in the beginning of the third one. They scored twice within only four minutes through Lukas Wittwer and Joel Rüegger. A two-minute-penalty gave the Czech champions the opportunity to reduce their deficit, but again GC´s boxplay worked well and again they got away without conceding a goal. After the boxplay the game went back to “normal”, meaning GC controlled ball and opponents with all three lines. When Linard Parli scored his second goal of the evening to a 5-0 lead, this was the decision in that game. The only little flaw in GC´s almost perfect game was that they didn´t score much more. At least captain Michael Zürcher added one more goal in the 55^thminute. Finally the game ended with a more than deserved 6-0 victory for the host team of the Champions Cup.

Thus, both Swiss teams, Wiler-Ersigen and GC, won their respective groups with two victories in two games. In the semifinals Wiler meets the Finnish champions Happee Jyväskylä at 1 pm and GC plays against the Swedish champions Falun at 4 pm.

Best Players:
GC: Nr. 25 Christoph Meier
Vitkovice: Nr. 19 Lukas Rezanina

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