Ruedi Burkard
They fought, they suffered and they stood up to the favorite. And yet in the end it was the same as always. After a final 4: 9 away defeat on Sunday evening in the seventh and decisive game, Zug was eliminated by record champions Wiler-Ersigen. Even in the third attempt, the Zugers did not succeed in surviving a knockout round for the first time. In 2018 and 2019, Köniz was better, a year ago the end of the season due to Corona stopped the Zugers’ venture. And so this time Wiler-Ersigen.
After the spectacular 6: 5 win after extra time on Saturday – which had meant the equalizer to 3: 3 in the series – the Zugers believed they were still in a formidable position. Team captain Tim Mock saw the momentum on the part of his team before the Sunday “Finalissima”. He says boldly:
“Now we’re going to see Wiler and make it to the semi-finals.”
But then the favorite from the Bern area was too clever for Zug to outsmart him. Shortly after the start of the second period, Pylsy with two goals and Rentsch screwed the score to 4: 1 within 128 seconds. And when Pylsy again scored the 5: 1 with a penalty before halfway through the game, the game was over. The Zugers fought their way up to 3: 5 (36th) and 4: 6 (41st). But in the final section, the strength of the Central Swiss dwindled visibly. And so Wiler-Ersigen finally won the game 9: 4 and the series 4: 3 after victories.
A season like a roller coaster ride
The fourth NLA season after being promoted again did not go quite as well as the people in charge of the ambitious Central Swiss had imagined last summer. After the sensational cup win in the preseason against Alligator Malans – notably the first cup win in the club’s 16-year history – they wanted to have a say in the award of the championship title. The new Zug striker André Andersson announced even before the first championship game that he wanted to become NLA top scorer “and reach the playoff final with the team”. The Zugers rumbled into the new season after a 2:14 slap in the Supercup against Malans. The Central Swiss never really got going during the 15-game qualification. In addition to big games – victory away against Wiler-Ersigen, 12: 4 spectacle against Thun – it also suffered bitter defeats. Only the 5-6 bankruptcy after extra time at bottom of the table Ad Astra Sarnen should be remembered.
It was also a little bit unlucky that Zug had to play fifth against the record champions in the playoff quarter-finals. The central Swiss also did not like the fact that Wiler-Ersigen found normal form with his Finnish world champions in the playoff. And so the quarter-final series could still turn after a 1: 2 deficit and, appropriately, move into the semi-final against the Grasshoppers. And what remains for Zug after the 2020/21 season? The knowledge that they have taken another big step forward in their development. If you continue to develop and challenge your own young players under the new coach Antti Ruokonen, a 57-year-old Finn, you are well on the way to the future. And if the two potential snipers on duty – the Swedes Alexander Hallén and André Andersson – appear as dominant in the playoffs next season as in the qualification this year, Zug United is a very hot candidate, at least for the semi-finals.
Floorball, men
NLA. Playoffs. Quarterfinals (Best of 7). 6th round (Saturday): Rychenberg Winterthur (6th) – Malans (2.) 4: 7 (0: 1, 2: 3, 1: 2); Final score 2: 4. Langnau (7th) – Köniz (3.) 0:10 (0: 2, 0: 2, 0: 6); Final score 2: 4. Zug United (5th) – Wiler Ersigen (4th) 6: 5 (3: 2, 1: 0, 1: 3, 1: 0) after extra time.
Zug – Wiler-Ersigen 6: 5 (3: 2, 1: 0, 1: 3, 1: 0) n.V.
Cantonal school. – 0 viewers. – SR Preisig / Schädler. – Tore: 11. Dudovic 0-1. 13. Mother (Louis) 0-2. 18. Staub (Furger) 1: 2. 19. Bachmann (Rubi) 2: 2. 20. Furger (Hallén) 3-2. 38 Andersson (Julkunen) 4: 2. 44 Rentsch (Louis) 4: 3. 46. Persici (Pylsy) 4: 4. 56. Furger (Graf / Committee Rentsch) 5: 4. 60. (59:47) Rentsch (Pylsy / Wiler without goalkeeper) 5: 5. 66. Julkunen (Graf) 6: 5. – Punish: Your 1 mold 2 Minutes. – Remarks: Shots from the post: Julkunen (38), Dudovic (58.).
7th round (Sunday):Wiler Ersigen – move United 9: 4 (1: 1, 5: 2, 3: 1); Final score 4: 3.
Semi-finals (Best of 7): Grasshoppers (1.) – Wiler Ersigen (4.), Malans (2.) – Köniz (3.).
Wiler-Ersigen – Zug United 9:4 (1:1, 5:2, 3:1)
Grossmatt, Kirchberg BE. – 0 viewers. – SR Fässler / Schläpfer. – Tore: 2. Dudovic (Sikora) 1-0. 8 a.m. (Furger) 1: 1. 21. Pylsy (Bürki) 2: 1. 23. Pylsy (Penalty) 3: 1. 23. Rentsch (Louis) 4: 1. 27. Pylsy (Hollenstein) 5: 1. 32. Furger (Julkunen / Exclusion Pylsy) 5: 2. 36. Hallén (Dust) 5: 3. 40. Mother (Louis) 6: 3. 41. Andersson (penalty) 6: 4. 43. Louis (mother) 7: 4. 48. Ziehli (mother) 8: 4. 57. Pylsy (Affolter) 9: 4. – Punish: Your 1 mold 2 Minutes. – Remarks: 23. Time-out Zug.
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