Rouen, stunning, wins the clash of the Magnus League against Grenoble
The shock between the last two champions of France offered a formidable spectacle to the 3,300 spectators of Île Lacroix, Friday during the 12th day of Ligue Magnus. After a stunning scenario, Rouen consolidated its leading position and put a big blow on the head of Grenoble (7-4).
The Isérois had however made an ideal start with two goals from Aurélien Dair and Brent Aubin (0-2, 9th), then a third from Kyle Hardy (1-3, 19th) to respond to the reduction in the score of Joris Bedin .
But the Dragons returned the favor in the middle of the second third, François Beauchemin and Kelsey Tessier struck one minute apart (3-3, 27th). In the last period, four new Norman goals signed Florian Chakiachvili, Tommy Perret (19), again Beauchemin then Sacha Guimond (in numerical inferiority), knocked out the defending champions, beaten for the first time this season in time regulatory.
Caubet, 20, heroic in the Rouen cage
The very young Norman goalkeeper Tonin Caubet (20 years old) admirably withstood the Grenoble assaults, diverting 39 shots, the same number as that appearing on his jersey. With 10 goals and 6 assists in 11 matches, Beauchemin is the top scorer in the Championship, and joint top scorer with teammate Christophe Boivin, who added 3 assists to his tally on Friday (2 goals, 14 assists in total).
Rouen is now the only leader, Gap having lost to Angers in the other shock of the evening (4-1). After two balanced periods, Quebecer Jonathan Charbonneau, already a scorer at the start of the game, struck twice in the last quarter of an hour to earn himself a hat-trick. It propels the Dukes to second place in the standings, one point behind the Rouennais.
The Gapençais found themselves 3rd ahead of Cergy, winner in the snatch of Briançon (3-1 with two goals in the last five minutes), and Grenoble, which has three matches less than its rivals.
Anglet dominated Chamonix (3-2) and left last place. In the other two games of the evening, Mulhouse beat Amiens (4-1 with 41 saves from Quentin Papillon) and Nice won in Bordeaux (2-1 ap) on a but in extension of Louis Belisle.