Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain – The El Txuri Urdin hockey team leveled their Liga semifinal series against Puigcerdà with a 3-1 victory on Saturday, forcing a decisive fifth and final game to be played in Puigcerdà. The win keeps their hopes alive for a championship title run, after a back-and-forth series that has seen both teams trade victories.
The series began with El Txuri Urdin taking the first game, followed by a loss on the road against Puigcerdà. Returning to Donostia, the teams split the next two contests, with Puigcerdà winning 6-7 on Saturday and El Txuri responding with a 3-1 win on Sunday. The final showdown is scheduled for Saturday in Puigcerdà, with an anticipated start time around 10:00 PM CET (4:00 PM ET).
El Txuri Urdin secured the victory thanks to a strong defensive performance and key goals from Tiitinen and Perittu in the second period. The game remained scoreless through the first period, but Tiitinen broke the deadlock, followed quickly by Perittu extending the lead to 2-0. The team managed to maintain their advantage until the final minutes, despite a late push from Puigcerdà.
A late penalty against El Txuri’s Nicolau with two minutes remaining proved pivotal, allowing Puigcerdà to pull their goaltender for a six-on-four advantage. They capitalized on the opportunity, scoring their first goal of the game to narrow the gap to 2-1. However, El Txuri quickly responded with a goal from Gorka Merino into the empty net, sealing the 3-1 victory.
The performance of goaltender Virtanen Verneri was crucial to El Txuri’s success. He finished the game with a remarkable 97% save percentage, stopping 38 of 39 shots faced. “One of the keys was our goalkeeper,” said head coach Tito Marcelino after the game. “To keep the game at zero with two minutes left was vital. They took a lot more shots than us, but that’s what we have the goalkeeper for – to save. He had a great game.”
Marcelino acknowledged the challenge that awaits his team in Puigcerdà, stating, “We’ve had things proceed our way and we’re more than prepared for a fifth game. If we stay focused and do things the way we know how, we’ve already shown in these four games that we’re very evenly matched and anyone can win. We require to have morale and confidence and play like we did on Sunday, so we can pull it off. It won’t be easy because they are a very strong team at home.”
The coach also anticipates a hostile environment in Puigcerdà, recognizing the strong support the home team receives. “It won’t be easy because that’s a difficult rink, but it won’t be easy for them either,” Marcelino explained. “I’m not overly concerned about the atmosphere. A full rink actually motivates me, and I suppose it motivates the players too. I don’t give much importance to the environmental aspect; I focus on staying concentrated and avoiding penalties, which is their strength.”
The upcoming game in Puigcerdà will be a true test of resilience for both teams. For El Txuri Urdin, it represents a chance to reach the Liga final and compete for the championship. The series has been tightly contested, and the outcome will likely depend on which team can maintain composure and execute their game plan effectively in a high-pressure environment. The winner will advance to face the champion of the other semifinal series.
Fans can follow updates and official announcements regarding the Liga playoffs on the official league website and the team’s social media channels. The final game promises to be a thrilling conclusion to a hard-fought semifinal series.
