RIGA, Latvia - Kazzinc-Torpedo did not use its opportunity to win silver by gaining points against Aalborg. The Kazakhs lost 5-3 and had to be happy that the Danes did not grab bronze by scoring one more goal.
Ak Bars Kazan had already won gold in the afternoon but the rest of the ranking was completely open before the sixth and last game of the 2008 Continental Cup Super Final. Kazzinc-Torpedo could have won silver with at least one point against winless AaB Aalborg, otherwise Riga 2000 would likely be winning silver, as long as there was not a high win by Aalborg.
Though, the Kazakhs had the best conditions but their opponents wanted to show that they can more than they had shown before. Kazzinc-Torpedo gained a 0-2 lead with goals scored by Vadim Rifel at 9:02 and Doszhan Yessirkenov at 29:43. Probably their good start made the Kazakhs feel too sure about their win. Two goals of Dejan Matejic and one by Burke Henry let the game be equalised after two periods, Anton Komissarov scored Kazzinc’s 1-3.
Brad Rooney at 43:32 and Aleksandrs Semjonovs at 55:22 heightened the score to 5-3. A big surprise was in the air. The Danes missed only one more goal to overtake the Kazakhs in the ranking and to win bronze. But it did not happen and Aalborg had to go home without medals but at least with the proud of the first and only win at the tournament.
Kazzinc-Torpedo missed silver due to the loss but edged the Danes out by one goal to win bronze at least. “We are happy to end the tournament with a win and had good counter chances”, said Aalborg’s head coach Jarmo Tolvanen, who elected netminder Peter Hirsch as his best player of the game.
“We had not enough power to keep the score, but the third place is good for us as well,” Kazzinc’s assistant coach Viktor Bystyantsev remarked after the game.
For hosts Riga 2000 the Sunday ended reconciliatory with silver - the biggest international success in their young club history together with another silver at the 2006 Super Final in Szekesfehervar.
Photo gallery of the gameClick here for the complete Continental Cup Super Final coverageMARTIN MERK
