Tornado Luxembourg Defeats Dijon 5-3 in Division 2 Clash

20th October 2024

Tornado Luxembourg

Photographed by Evan RICARD

Tornado Luxembourg secured an important 5-3 victory against Dijon in what was a highly anticipated rematch between last season's main rivals. Both teams were promoted to the French Division 2 this year, and this game was a test of who could assert themselves in the higher tier.

A Broader Scoring Contribution
One of the key positives for Tornado in this game was seeing more names on the scoresheet. While much of the scoring responsibility has previously rested on Latvian forwards Gergs Holodkovs and Juris Upitis, this time the team displayed a more balanced offensive effort. Particularly notable was Filip Chab, who seems to be rediscovering his form, contributing significantly to the team's offensive output by scoring twice in the game.

Solid Defense with a Few Hiccups
Defender Vesa Hirvonen, who assisted 3 goals in the game, offered his thoughts after the game, focusing on the defensive effort and the challenges Tornado faced:
"It was a pretty solid game defensively, but we made it difficult for ourselves by taking too many penalties. Still, we were the better team tonight. Dijon was doing what they always do—nasty stuff like slashing—but we managed to pull through. It's great to come out of this hole with 3 points."

Hirvonen’s comments reflect the physical and sometimes scrappy nature of the contest, a style Dijon has been known for. Despite this, Tornado remained composed for the most part and emerged victorious.

Penalties Almost Cost Tornado
Head coach Christer Eriksson was pleased with the team's performance overall, though he highlighted the need for better discipline, particularly in the third period when Dijon clawed their way back into the game:
"We were great in discipline for the first two periods, and our power play and penalty kill were really solid. But in the third period, we lost our patience and took too many penalties, which allowed Dijon to get back into the game. In the end, hard work and good team spirit helped us to pull it off."

Tornado's penalty troubles in the final period gave Dijon a lifeline, but Eriksson's squad showed resilience, battling through adversity to secure the win.

Looking Forward
With this 5-3 win, Tornado Luxembourg adds another three points to their tally, giving them a solid start to their Division 2 campaign. The victory is also a confidence booster, particularly after the previous week's defeat. Now with contributions from a broader range of players and a defense that, despite the penalties, remains strong, Tornado looks ready to continue their fight in this competitive league.

This victory also reaffirms Tornado’s strength against a familiar foe, leaving the team and its fans optimistic as the season progresses.

Next weekend Tornado will host Châlons-en Champagne in Kockelscheuer. Join us to cheer Tornado for its first home win in division 2.