Tunet IBK was really close in winning SK Lielvarde in the first men’s semi-final game of the EFC 2016. Lielvarde made a huge comeback to the game and won in the end 8-6. The Latvian team will face in the finals either UHC Weissenfels or SK Link/Saku.

SK Lielvarde-Tunet IBK 8-6 (1-3, 2-2, 5-1)

SK Lielvarde started definitely stronger than Tunet IBK and scored the first goal of the game with a good shot by Ralfs Jonikans. After that the Latvian team took two penalties and Ole Martin Skau Jansson tied the game on a two man powerplay. Ole Mossin Olesen scored 2-1 for Tunet shortly after that also on powerplay. At 14:08 Olesen stole the ball from a Latvian defender and did yet again a beautiful zorro goal on the breakaway. With numbers 3-1 the teams headed to the locker rooms for the first intermission.

After a minute had been played in the second period when the ball was found from the Norwegian team’s net. The decreasing goal was scored by Kaspars Mudelis. But then Ole Martin Skau Jansson stepped up by scoring two goals from the assists of Olesen. Toms Akmenlauks decreased the score to 5-3 at 34:26 and that was also the result in the second intermission.

The first ten minutes of the third period looked still good for Tunet. Bendik Baero added the lead already to 6-3. But 49:49 was the time when all changed. First Gints Klegers decreased to 6-4 and only 15 seconds later Toms Akmenlauks to 6-5. At 57:52 Aivis Kusins tied the game and 30 seconds later Lielvarde was leading 7-6 by Atis Blinds. Kusins shot the last one to make the end result 8-6 at 59:12.

It was an amazing comeback by Lielvarde because it really didn’t look like they would win since Tunet played really strong in the first part of the third period.

Tunet’s Ole Mossin Olesen scored 2+3 and Ole Martin Skau Jansson made a hat trick. Lielvarde’s Aivis Kusins shot 2+1 and Atis Blinds, Gints Klegers and Toms Akmenlauks each 1+1. Sandis Mihailovskis gave two assists.

EFC 2016 webpage: http://efc2016.de/en