Two days after the Champions League game I returned to the Norrbotten Arena for a domestic hockey fixture. Lulea won the league last season but have struggled this year and whilst they probably won’t get relegated, they are much closer to the bottom of the table than the top.
I went to this one on my own as everyone else had flown out that afternoon. Tickets for the domestic games are harder to come by than for the Champions League and the only availability was in the standing section behind the goal.
It was packed and I regretted wearing such a warm coat. There was plenty of pre-game flag waving and the chanting was orchestrated by a pair of capos on platforms. The atmosphere was the nearest that you’ll get to the old days on the football terraces.
It was a niggly game with nine players spending time in the cooler for a variety of offences. One fella got a red right at the end but with only a minute remaining it didn’t seem much more of a sanction than a two-minute yellow. Perhaps he’ll pick up a suspension as well.
The game was all-square at one-each going into the final two minutes of the third period. Djurgarden then scored and looked likely to have nicked the win. However, Lulea switched to fly-goalie and managed to snatch an equalizer with just eight seconds left.
As you might expect, everyone around me had a smile on their faces. The smiles turned to grins in next goal the winner overtime when Lulea made it three-two to take the points.
Tags: Lulea hockey
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