JORDAL AMFI (Dagsavisen): The day had finally arrived for the first match of the season between Vålerenga and Storhamar at Jordal, a match that has been sold out for a week and a half already. It is a new record for VIF, which goes well with the audience records they have set in both of the last two seasons. Storhamar won the first match of the season, as they also won the final series between the teams last season, and in front of a packed Jordal, Storhamar once again emerged victorious from a duel with Vålerenga.
Vålerenga’s returned son, Mika Partanen, could have scored after just a few seconds of the match, but the puck did not bounce his way and VIF’s way. Instead, it was the visitors from Hamar who gained two minutes in the lead when Tim McGauley received the game’s first sending-off after a minute had been played, but VIF rowed the deficit ashore.
It was a hectic opening ten minutes, with chances both ways and a huge atmosphere. Both Alexander Bonsaksen and Mathis Olimb had good shot attempts for Vålerenga, while Austin Cangelosi was alone with Tobias Breivold, who saved. He didn’t do that six seconds after the ten minutes had passed.
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Vålerenga responded immediately
Former Vålerenga player Andreas Martinsen won a duel behind the goal, and had the puck hit in front of the box. There, Cangelosi emerged victorious from his duel and recovered the puck first. Slightly out of balance, he tipped it into the roof of the net, and thus Storhamar took the lead. Which they didn’t last more than a minute and a half.
Then Vålerenga equalized after Alexander Bonsaksen made a good effort outside the glove. Bonsa passed the puck to Mika Partanen, who fired a shot. It was saved by Markus Stensrud, but Tim McGauley picked up the rebound, went past the goalkeeper and put the puck into the open nets.
A couple of minutes later, Tommi Taimi hit the puck on the crossbar after VIF won a drop in the offensive zone, but after we had quite a few minutes’ break to remove blood from the ice after a collision, it dabbed a bit in the last six or seven minutes of the period . Storhamar ended the period in excess, which gave Martin Rønnild an incredible chance to give the visitors the lead, but Breivold saved and sent the teams into the break at 1-1.
Read also: Partanen scored in the VIF comeback – hard-fought victory for Storhamar
Surplus resulted in a new VIF scoring
Storhamar started the middle period in excess, without being able to take advantage of it. However, the visitors got the first big opportunity of the period, when Cole Schneider suddenly had to stand all alone in the goal yard, but Tobias Breivold incredibly managed to get over and make himself so big that Schneider couldn’t put the puck in the goal.
Vålerenga have been by far the best in the league when it comes to goals in excess this season, with almost 42 percent. In the first attempt against Storhamar, the 24th goal came in excess for the season, and it was Mikkel Christiansen who was able to melt the puck into the net after persistent Vålerenga pressure.
VIF got another opportunity in the lead soon after, but then it didn’t work out as well. Nor did it when Storhamar equalised, after Storhamar had pushed Vålerenga back towards their own goal over a longer period. In the end it was Håvard Salsten who found Martin Rønnild in front of the goal, and the Storhamar player in a somewhat strange way threw himself at the pass and sent it into the far corner.
Read also: Partanen again ready for VIF after injury nightmare: – Seven long months (+)
Storhamar turned to management
When the period seemed to ebb and flow with 2-2, Adrian Saxrud Danielsen appeared, and wanted it to be different. Storhamar won a duel outside the mitt and had it played to Saxrud Danielsen who shot from just inside the blue line. The shot whizzed into the top of the hoop at the crossing, so that Storhamar went to the break with the lead.
The visitors were also most dangerous at the start of the third period, and had two giant opportunities to increase the lead in the first five minutes, both of which were thrown away. So did Vålerenga with an attempt in the lead, before Storhamar increased the lead with ten minutes left to play.
Storhamar broke VIF high and played the puck through the middle zone and up to Sverre Rønningen. He was unable to get around and fell, to the great laughter of around 5,000 VIF supporters, but was able to club the puck so that Andreas Martinsen could pick it up. He waited out the VIF defense and played it back to Rønningen who thumped in Storhamar’s fourth goal and got his revenge by silencing Jordal Amfi.
Read also: Vålerenga shocked in Stavanger and beat the Oilers again
Storhamar clearly won
Vålerenga pressed for a reduction goal, and pushed Storhamar backwards towards their own goal in periods, but as time went on it became less and less likely that a comeback would happen. It never came either, even though VIF took goalkeeper Breivold out. Instead, Cole Schneider could skate in 2-5, when Alexander Bonsaksen lost the puck in the center zone.
Storhamar also shot one more time into the crossbar, before it got really amped up in the last minutes when the game was practically decided. That led to Didrik Nøkleby Svendsen having an early shower.
VIF’s next match is now away to Lørenskog on Tuesday, before another match against Narvik awaits at home next Thursday. The week ends with another match against Storhamar, this time in Hamar.
Read also: Uka’s Oslo team: Rare VIF loss, while MS can cheer for a full pot (+)
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Battle facts
Eliteserien ice hockey, round 17
Vålerenga – Storhamar 2-5 (1-1, 1-2, 0-2)
Jordal Amfi, 5486 spectators (sold out)
Goal:
1st period: 0-1 (10.06.) Austin Cangelosi (Martinsen), 1-1 (11.20) Tim McGauley (Partanen, Bonsaksen).
2nd period: 2-1 (29.38) Mikkel Christiansen (McGauley, Lepaus), 2-2 (33.57) Martin Rønnild (Salsten, Hurrød). 2-3 (39.17) Adrian Saxrud Danielsen (Helmet, Martinsen).
3rd period: 2-4 (49.07) Sverre Rønningen (Martinsen, Cangelosi). 2-5 (57.51) Cole Schneider (unassisted).
Shots: 34-32 (16-12, 11-9, 7-11)
Expulsions: Vålerenga 7×2 min, 1×10 min. Storhamar 6×2 min.
Judges: Jørn McCall Ekeberg & Roy Stian Hansen
Vålerengas ranges:
Goalkeeper: Tobias Breivold (Arnkværn)
1st row: Alexander Bonsaksen, Tommi Taimi, Villiam Haag, Mathis Olimb, Teemu Lepaus.
2nd row: Daniel Rokseth, Gabriel Koch, Mika Partanen, Tim McGauley, Jørgen Karterud.
3rd row: Kalle Ekelund, Linus Rosdahl, Sebastian Johansen, Pontus Finstad, Martin Røymark.
4th row: Herman Mowe, Didrik Nøkleby Svendsen, Stian Kaltrud Nystuen, Mikkel Christiansen, Magnus Brekke Henriksen.
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