Lions through to Continental Cup final

ZSC Lions' player Christopher Belanger (left) fights with Finland's Tero Tourunen Keystone

The Zurich Lions ice hockey club stand on the verge of winning a second successive Continental Cup after battling their way through to Sunday's final.

A 4-3 victory over Finnish side Jukurit Mikkeli means the Swiss champions will line up against an impressive Milan side, who earlier beat the Slovakian champions, Zvolen.

The Lions’ assistant coach, Dave Chambers, told swissinfo he was happy to be through to the final after what he described as a hard match against skilful opposition.

“It was a difficult game for us,” he said. “We were ahead throughout the game, but the Finnish team is young and they skate hard and don’t give up. We were extended and had to win the game 4-3.”

Chambers forecast another tough battle at Zurich’s Hallenstadion against Milan in Sunday’s final, but added that the Lions were determined to go out and win the European competition to clinch their fourth title in a row.

Scrappy opening

After a scrappy opening few minutes with neither side managing to impose itself, Saturday’s match exploded into life in the eighth minute when Jan Alston scored for the Lions, shooting through a crowd of players with the Finnish ‘keeper, Jussi Reiskanen, badly sighted.

Two minutes later the Lions were two goals ahead, after Morgan Samuelsson finished sweetly. At this stage the Finns were in danger of being overrun by a rampant home side, with the visitors scarcely able to break out of their own half.

However, all that changed in the 12th minute. After Petri Lehtonen had gone close, the Finns clawed their way back into the match with a wonder goal. Tuomo Jormakka was set free down the right and laid the puck deftly into the path of Niko Kantelinen to leave Lions’ goalie Ari Sulander no chance.

For the first time in the match it was a resurgent Jukurit Mikkeli, who were turning the screw, asking questions of the Lions’ defence.

The second period began in much the same style as the first, with both sides squandering possession and rarely threatening the goal. But Petr Jaks then breathed new life into the home fans with a close-range finish to give the Lions a two-goal cushion.

Glorious chance

Seconds later Mattia Baldi almost put the Lions further ahead, striking the post with the Finnish defence in disarray. By now the Lions were in full flow and Petri Varis missed a glorious chance after being put clean through by a slide rule pass, but Reiskanen saved well in the Jukurit Mikkeli goal.

The game then reverted to being a scrappy affair with both sides appearing to cancel each other out. However, after a short spell camped around the Finnish goal, the Lions were caught by a swift break by the Finns who made it 2-3 in the 46th minute through Marko Tauriainen.

The goal spurred Jukurit Mikkeli on and Marku Erholtz saw a snap shot saved by Sulander in the Lions goal. But their hopes were again dashed three minutes later when Adrian Plavsic caught the Finns napping.

Within seconds the visitors were again dreaming of snatching an unlikely draw when Jari Korhonen drilled a shot past a despairing Sulander, but despite laying siege to the Lions’ goal they were unable to break though.

Lively opening game

In a lively opening game to the tournament, Italian champions Milan Vipers took on the Slovakian champions from Zvolen, widely considered to be the strongest team at the outset,

However, once again Milan upset the formbook, winning the match 4-2 in convincing style. Cheered on by around 200 vociferous supporters, Milan got off to the worst possible start when they conceded a goal in the 15th minute, scored by Zvolen’s Ludek Krayzel.

The goal served as a wake-up call for the Italians who were back on level terms within three minutes through Jim Hiller. Milan then took the lead in impressive style six minutes into the second period when defender Leo Insam rifled in a shot past Zvolen ‘keeper Matus Kostur.

Milan nearly made it 3-1 in the 30th minute but Kostur, who was the busiest of the goalies throughout the match, pulled off a sharp save down low to his right when faced with two Italian attackers.

He was back in action within minutes, saving well from Patrice Lefebvre. Milan, who always looked threatening on the break, duly made it 3-1 through a superb goal by Gianluca Tomasello four minutes before the end of the second period.

Seconds later Milan almost went further ahead when Kostur again found himself isolated at the back, but he again saved brilliantly to keep the Slovakians in the match. However eight minutes from time there was nothing even he could do to stop Lefebvre scoring after excellent work by Scott Beattie.

Andrej Rajcak scored a consolation goal for Zvolen with seconds remaining, but Milan were well worth their victory.

by Adam Beaumont in Zurich