Facing the Brûleurs de Loups, French champions in 2022 and vice champions in 2023, the Girondins won a new match on Saturday evening: 4-3, after 3-2 on Wednesday evening. Folding the series into five games against a team that played in the European Cup earlier in the season and has aspirations to play in the Champions Hockey League next season is strong. Very strong! And it needs to be at least that much against Rouen, who have crushed everything in their path during these play-offs.
Still ahead in the score
Even if the Girondins lost the match statistically (21 shots on target in this match, compared to Grenoble’s 36), they were always in the lead in scoring. And that’s where it comes into play. With an ideal scenario for them: from the 5th minute, Kevin Spinozzi cheated with Jakub Stepanek (back in the Burners’ cage), with a shot from the blue after winning a face-to-face in the offensive zone (0-1). Grenoble was already stunned… and couldn’t equalize in the first third.
The Isre reaction came in the 2nd period. A master shot to deny Papillon (25th), with Damian Fleury’s first goal; Then a second, by Czech Martin Latal, opportunistically converting a throw from Crinan (37th). But each time, it was an equaliser… as Aina Benjamin Rambelo meanwhile managed to trick the Issaire defense (27th).
A victory in the form of an exploit… Iser celebrated with the ten boxers in attendance
An incredible third third
At the start of the last period (2-2) the suspense was complete… and the tension palpable. The Grenoble pressure cooker then exploded in less than three minutes. Mathieu Pompey surprised Grenoble again, turning a shot by Grenoblois into Stepanek’s cage (in the 44th); In the process, Kyle Hardy relaunched his Brulers de Lopes, with a shot from the edge of the ice (46th); But the Carey-Spinozzi duo immediately punished a moment of concentration from Grenobleois (47th).
The score was 3-4 and there was no going forward. Because Quentin Papillon – so solid in this series – won’t give up now. And because his teammates, massive in solidarity, stood together in front of him. A victory in the form of an exploit… The final whistle was celebrated with dozens of boxer supporters who had come to Isère. Their return to the Gironde promises to be memorable!
Reaction
Kevin Spinozzi (Bordeaux defender): “We knew we had a special team. We faced a lot of adversity throughout the season, with a lot of adversity. We went to the final, it’s unbelievable. We haven’t had the easiest season, we really have. We are now going to challenge Rouen for the title. We did what we had to do and now anything can happen. We believe in it. We will cheer up again and go to Rouen.”
