Biel puts an end to a series of defeats: ‘We put a plaster on the big wound’

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The EHCB players, coaching staff and 5,724 spectators (minus the Rappi fans) breathed a huge sigh of relief when Tino Kessler scored the winning goal in extra time. For the first time since September 23, Biel won a match in the National League.

When coach Petri Matikainen (56) and captain Gaëtan Haas (31) answered Blick’s questions, they had a smile on their faces. Completely different from the past few weeks. “It was tough,” summarizes the Zealand coach. “I’m glad this series is over.” The Finn cannot even imagine what impact an extension of the negative series would have had. “Mentally it was a big thing for us.”

For his captain, ‘frustrating’ is the right word to summarize the past matches. “You lose players in every match,” says Gaëtan Haas. “Everyone is making an effort, but the results are not coming.” The most difficult thing in such a situation is to win a game. “Then you see the light at the end of the tunnel again.”

Haas: “We can finally breathe a sigh of relief”

We have now won against Rapperswil-Jona. “We can finally breathe a sigh of relief,” says Haas. “We put a small bandage on the large wound.” The striker started the evening with the first goal. But again a penalty shootout threatened. In this regard, the Zeelanders have been mediocre at best so far. The record: four games, four defeats. “You see the same movie every time. “That remains in the back of the mind, even for those who didn’t shoot,” Haas said.

Thanks to Kessler’s goal, the Bielers were spared this scenario. “But we are not euphoric,” Haas warns. “It’s just a first step. The road is still long.”

This view matches that of his coach. “We are taking small steps,” Matikainen analyzes. “The results were not forthcoming, but we have been on the right track for some time.” The Finn knows that the victory was not nice, “but that is never the case after a series of defeats.”

Yes, Biel won, but Biel only scored two goals. The Seelanders have the fifth worst offense in the league. “There is no magic solution,” says Haas. “If we knew the solution, we wouldn’t be in this situation. There is a lot of talking and there is honesty in the dressing room.”

Matikainen: “I didn’t feel much pressure”

This communication is important for the trainer. And he also sees something positive in the series of defeats that Biel has now put an end to. “Maybe that was good for us,” he dares to say. “We need to come together now.”

After the victory, can Matikainen talk with confidence about the fact that his job could have been in jeopardy? “To be honest, I didn’t feel much pressure,” says Antti Törmänen’s successor. “I was quite calm and we talk to the sports director almost every day (editor’s note: Martin Steinegger.”) In Biel they seem willing to give the new coach time.

Source : Blick