Our Lions host the Dragons of Friborg this Saturday, January 10 for another fiery derby. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. at the Vaudoise arena. This pre-match is brought to you by our main partner, Vaudoise Assurances.
Regain control of their lair
This clash against the team of Roger Rönnberg is a very big challenge for our Lions. It is clear that this confrontation will give them the opportunity to erase the recent debacle against HC Lugano. During this last meeting, both fans and players left the Lions’ den with a bitter taste. Despite numerous offensive opportunities (44 shots attempted), the Vaudois came up against a wall that they were unable to overcome. Minute by minute, the confidence and success of the LHC faded in favor of an opportunistic opponent who took advantage of opposing errors.
Facing the Dragons, the Lausannois do not need to disrupt their style of play, which had proven very effective during their first confrontation at the start of the regular season. Equipped with numerous quick profiles, Damien Riat’s teammates know the recipe to apply at home. Success in the first period will be decisive in maintaining the group’s confidence for the rest of the match. On several occasions during this 2025-26 financial year, the Lions were able to use their first offensive success to rely on the public and the atmosphere of the Vaudoise arena, which had the consequence of tipping the match and gaining a psychological advantage over their opponent.
A defense that must withstand the shock
With 124 goals scored in 39 matches, the HC Fribourg-Gottéron squad is having a very prolific scoring season. 3rd in the National League in this exercise, just behind the LHC, the evening opponents are good when it comes to scoring the first goal and then locking behind thanks to their balanced and physical defense. Therefore, our Lions must ensure their defense and avoid any errors likely to give an “easy” opportunity to a Friborg player. Bad pass, loss of puck or defensive change late, every detail should not be taken lightly.
Fortunately, the Vaudois squad aligned most often by Geoff Ward and his staff gains stability from match to match. With pairs formed by Erik Brannstrom et Iñaki Baragañoas well as Sami Niku et Aurélien Martithe Lions found a convincing defensive organization. By their side, Nathan Vouardoux has been able to raise his level since the start of the season, while the two young rookies Basile Sansonnens et Gael Asa complete a Lausanne armada ready to take up the challenge of this derby
Our Lions’ next matches
Next week’s calendar that follows will have a similar smell to that of the last few days. Two home matches including a new derby against the Geneva Eagles and the reception of the Saint-Gallois of Rapperswil, cut by a trip to Kloten.
