The hockey team LTH Griparna of Lund won last Saturday evening after a long, exhausting but very exciting game against the KTH Royal Blue of Stockholm. This final victory of the team for the season does not conclude the University Hockey League since a last game between Gothenborg and Jönköping will determine who the winner is.
LTH Griparna is now at the top of the University Hockey League, but did not get this position so easily. A game faster than the previous one in the season, a game with much more contact and aggression than the last times.
Despite a disappointing and tough first half for Lund who underwent the speed and swift passes of the KTH Royal Blue. The latter was indeed full of energy and competiveness and they moved the score forward to 4-1 at the end of the first half.
“We started with a 4 lines form for this first period, but we didn’t get the tempo that we wanted to have” explains Alfred Ekermo, the coach of the team.
This 4 lines strategy was aimed to not fatigue the team players since they changed the composition more regularly on the ice and also helps to tire the other team. However, this strategy does not favour the offence, but promotes a physical and tough play.
An impressive second period
“So for the second period, we chose the 3 formation and the tempo went up” adds Alfred Ekermo.
Briefly, this 3 lines formation or checking line consists in protecting the goal and the defensive zone. This choice allows more offences than the 4 lines strategy, but it is more tiring for the players than the 4 lines one since the player’s rotations is less frequent. During this incredible second period, the griparna scored 2 goals in 15 minutes and the fourth goal in the penultimate minute before the end of the second period. It is with great excitement that the public supports the two teams that showed them a truly dynamic and stunning game.
A general grueling game
An injury, a broken window which threatens to collapse the whole wall requires the installation of a board, a hesitating decision for the fifth goal for Stockholm which finally was disapproved by the referees, stopped the play time. The last period showed the very good speed of the Lundanian goalkeeper who stopped a lot of adverse strikes.
The score remained 4-4 during all last period. An additional time was given to determine the winner. After 1:40 minutes Oscar Nyqvist (LTH) scored the last goal of the game, which finished the game. It was with great pride and excitement that the Lund team ends the game and thanked the public.
“I think this is amazing because we started the season by losing two straight games and now we are ending this season by winning four straight games.” confesses Alfred Ekermo.
The last ultimate step is the game between HJ Hockey Jönköping and the Chalmers of Göteborg, since Lund lost against Hockey club Chalmers Blue McRangers of Göteborg. A big bottle of whisky is what is waiting for the first team of this University Hockey League and its university!
Text: Manon Mannier
Photo: Lukas J. Herbers
