Credit: Luc Cordebar via Tornado Luxembourg

After a 20-day break in the regular season for Christmas, Tornado Luxembourg, competing in Group A Division 2 of the French Ice Hockey Championship (FFHG), recently played their first match of 2025.

Heading into the game, Christer Eriksson’s team had a record of three wins and six losses, with 12 points after 12 rounds. On Saturday 11 January 2025, Tornado hosted French side Les Phénix de Reims at a packed Kockelscheuer arena in Luxembourg. Reims entered the match with a stronger record of seven wins and three losses, sitting in third place in the league standings.

The first period ended goalless, but Tornado took control in the second, scoring three unanswered goals through Grigorijs Holodkovs, Filipp Chab and Nolan Eriksson. The third period proved the most eventful, with seven goals scored. Reims equalised with goals from Felix Poulin, Bjorn Robinson and Gianni Vitali. Both teams then traded goals - Juris Upitis for Tornado and Antonin Chateau for Reims. With the score at 4:4, Viktor Wahlden put the hosts ahead once more, but Reims’ Eric Lacombe tied the game with 56 seconds remaining before the final buzzer.

The decisive moment came in overtime when Juris Upitis scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Grigorijs Holodkovs, giving Tornado a 6:5 victory. The 33-year-old Latvian, who scored twice during the match, was named the game’s best player.

This was Tornado’s first home win of the season. Reflecting on the victory, head coach Christer Eriksson praised his team’s resilience: "The guys showed a strong mentality and responded every time Reims scored. Even when we struggled in the third period and nearly gave the game away, we stood tall. It was a real hockey game - intense, disciplined, and full of energy."

The win brings Tornado Luxembourg to 14 points, keeping them in 7th place in the group standings. The team now faces back-to-back away games, including a key match on Saturday 18 January 2025, against 6th-place Orléans. Tornado will have a chance to climb the standings further before their next home game, scheduled for Saturday 25 January 2025, against 8th-place Wasquehal.

(Table sourced from www.hockeyfrance.com)