Captain Martin Roemark's two early goals laid the foundation as Valerenga beat the Stavanger Oilers 3-2 in the NM ice hockey semi-final on Monday. Oslo club smells the final.
An away win means Oslo FC takes a 3-2 lead into the semi-final matches. Therefore, a win at home in Jordal Amfi will guarantee a place in the final.
The win was Vålerenga's first ever in a playoff context in what is now the Oilers' main hall. Ten straight losses was the result before Monday's meeting.
-It was very nice to win this match. Really sick team wins. We had a bit of a scare in the second half, but we got over it in the third. “This was the victory we came for,” Vålerenga's Thomas Olsen told TV 2 after the match.
– Definitely very sad. “I think we deserved to score more than two goals here,” a frustrated Oilers coach Anders Josi told the channel.
Double roemark
Valerenga captain Roimark scored the final two goals of the game as Valerenga beat Stavanger 4-3 after extra time in the fourth match in Oslo on Saturday. On Monday, he picked up where he left off.
Only five minutes and 50 seconds had been played when the veteran sent the visitors ahead in Stavanger, and the home crowd could barely digest the disappointment before Roemark scored his fourth successive goal in the semi-final.
The 2-0 score came after six minutes and 24 seconds after an ugly passing error by the home team's Dan Kessel.
– That was very good. It was something completely different from other matches. Then it is important to maintain it. The scorer of the two goals said after the start of the first half: We cannot allow ourselves to be let down.
The aforementioned Kessel was the man who pulled one back for the hosts midway through the first half. It was well deserved after ferocious pressure from the Oilers. The Rogalenders can then quickly score one or two more times. There were two results, among others, in the second period.
Instead of the equalizer, Valerenga scored the first goal in the third period through Alex Dosti. Thomas Olsen was alert and found his teammate from close range.
Ride out the storm
The Oilers responded immediately through Mattias Tretinis and sparked hope, but the home team's equalizer and extension went no closer. Taking off goalkeeper Henrik Holm in the final minute didn't help either.
Vålerenga weathered what turned out to be a small storm in the final minutes and could celebrate getting the match ball in the semi-final.
It comes on Wednesday in Oslo.
Storhamar is already ready for its fifth consecutive NM final after defeating Frisk Asker 4-1 in the semi-final matches.
(© NTB)
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
