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HC Ajoie secured a victory on Sunday that weighs far more than a mere line in the standings. Trailing Lugano 1-3 at the start of the third period, the Jurassians turned the game around in ten blazing minutes to win 5-4 in Porrentruy. The scenario rewarded their composure, but above all highlighted the frailties of an HC Lugano side still too fragile away from home, with Tomas Mitell now at the center of attention.
Ten Minutes That Change Everything
For forty-five minutes, Lugano had enough arguments to believe it was in control of the afternoon.
For forty-five minutes, Lugano had enough arguments to believe it was in control of the afternoon. Zach Sanford opened the scoring early in the game, Deniss Smirnovs replied before Calvin Thürkauf restored the Ticinese side’s lead. After a scoreless second period, Luca Fazzini made it 1-3 at the start of the final period. At that point, Ajoie seemed more intent on chasing the game than preparing a dramatic turnaround.
The turning point came during a long spell on the power play. Anttoni Honka brought the Jurassians back into the game with two quick goals, enough to break the tension among the home side and transfer it to Lugano’s sticks. Kyen Sopa then put Ajoie ahead, again on the power play, before Julius Nättinen scored the 5-3. Jere Innala did reduce the deficit late in the game, with the goalie pulled, but Lugano no longer had enough time to repair what had just begun to crack.
Ajoie Finds Breathing Room, Lugano Loses Its Way
For Ajoie, this 5-4 victory has the makings of a short-term landmark game. The Jurassian club did not simply benefit from an opponent’s lapse: it kept attacking even when the game seemed to be slipping away. The crowd at the Raiffeisen Arena saw a team capable of staying engaged, punishing indiscipline and turning the closing stages into a confidence-building sequence. In a season when every point can become precious, this kind of victory leaves more than just a good memory.
Lugano, meanwhile, leaves with a heavier conclusion. The Ticinese side outshot its opponent, looked in control for long stretches, then lost its structure and composure at the worst possible moment. The painful detail is not just the final score: it is the sequence of events. Four goals conceded in the third period, including three while shorthanded or in the wake of that pressure, tell the story of a team still vulnerable when the game becomes chaotic.
Mitell Under Scrutiny
Tomas Mitell will not be condemned by a single afternoon, and Swiss hockey has never been a courtroom that delivers verdicts based on one poorly handled penalty. But the context makes this defeat difficult to dismiss. Lugano remains a club defined by expectations, investment and impatience. After an inconsistent start to the season, losing in Porrentruy after leading 3-1 naturally adds weight to questions about the sporting direction and the bench’s ability to stabilize the team.
There is also an important nuance: not everything in Lugano’s play was poor. The Ticinese side generated chances, found several scorers and had the opportunities to put the game away before the storm. That is precisely what makes the defeat more worrying. When a team creates enough to win but comes away without a point, the problem moves beyond simple offensive execution to management, discipline and emotional resilience.
An Already Busy Week
Ajoie can now build on this result as it approaches what comes next with greater energy. The club knows it will not win all its games through such comebacks, but it has gained useful proof: even when trailing, it can do damage if the opponent leaves a door open.
Lugano, for its part, does not have the luxury of waiting for the schedule to improve its fortunes. The next few games will show whether Porrentruy was merely a spectacular accident or the symptom of a team still searching for its backbone. For Mitell, the best answer will come neither from statements nor from post-game formulas, but from a lineup capable of closing out a game when it already has a three-goal lead in its pocket.