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SB-Pro break the Classic voodoo — 05.10.2013SB-Pro (FIN) have defeated Classic (FIN) 3-2 and will meet Rönnby (SWE) in the final of the Women´s Champions Cup. SB-Pro & Classic have been battling each other for the Finnish title for 3 out of the last 4 seasons and Classic has always walked away with the gold medal. Right from the opening whistle in this semi-final there was a determined look in the eye of the SB-Pro players that told you, just perhaps, that this story was going to have a different ending today.
The Kujala twins combined early in the match with Elina passing to Karoliina who collected the ball and took it wide past the diving Classic goalkeeper, Kreeta Lakkala, and found the net. It was the perfect start for SB-Pro. The game was very even and both teams played a very different style. Classic looked to control the ball and play from deep in their own end, using lots of passes to try and create the openings in the SB-Pro defence, while SB-Pro were happy to hold tight in front of their goal and use their speed to turn the game quickly when they got possession. For the second part of the first period nearly all the possession was held by Classic as they pressured the SB-Pro goal. You could feel their momentum building and there was the sense that their opening goal was about to happen any minute, but with seconds left on the clock a turnover and fast break saw Elina Kujala give a neat pass through some close Classic defence to find Mira Wickman in front of the goal and the score was 2-0. Classic had plenty of chances in the second period but it started to feel like it was just going to be one of those days for them. Their shooting and finishing close to goal was not up to it´s usual standard. Even their goal-scoring machine Eliisa Alanko couldn´t finish off chances that she would normally make with her eyes closed. The tension of the crowd and of both benches really built during the third period. Classic attacked again and again at the SB-Pro goal, but Laura Loisa (with 22 saves) was having a brilliant game. However, there was this sense that the bubble could burst at any time and once it did then Classic would be able to relax and settle back into the game, while SB-Pro would start to feel the pressure. Classic´s best player, Nina Rantala, was working extremely hard and it paid off at 47:28 when at last she was able to get the ball past Loisa and get Classic on the board. SB-Pro continued to play tight in their defensive area still looking just to make counter attacks and they took their chances when they came. A terrible passing mistake from the Classic defence put the ball directly onto the stick of Ella Sundström who made a quick and hard shot at goal that hit Lakkala flew up into the air and landed behind her to then bounce into the goal. Time was 56.33 and SB-Pro now had a 3-1 lead, but Classic were not finished. Katri Luomaniemi made up for her mistake in defence when she scored Classic´s second goal just 25 seconds later. Classic took a time-out and took their goalkeeper off for the last two minutes of the game. The play was all happening in front of the SB-Pro goal but the defence was strong and held on to take the victory - one that the whole SB-Pro bench was extremely pleased with.
Timo Suonpää, Head Coach of SB-Pro, was of course happier: - Classic had more pressure because it was their home CC. We just tried to play our game and today it worked well, the SB-Pro captain, Elina Kujala said after the match. And when asked about tomorrow´s final: Best players: More photos by Juhani Järvenpää and Topi Naskali on IFF Flickr Champions Cup partners:       |
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