Patrick Thoresen decided to premiere the series – VG

– It was fun. I felt a bit tired after the first period. But it worked. The atmosphere was strange, with 200 spectators in the stands. It is a pity. The reality is this. But those who were here allowed themselves to be heard. It’s fun Saturday’s game, says Patrick Thoresen in the press area outside Storhamar’s dressing room after the game.

Two and a half weeks after the originally planned start, the main ice hockey series began with, among other things, the top-ranked Stavanger Oilers against Storhamar.

The most important man in the home team, Patrick Thoresen (36), was quite sure before the start of how the premiere would end.

– I think we won 3-1, he said in an interview shown in the information cube on the ice in the 1994 Olympic area.

He was almost right.

– Yes, we won by two. 4-2 is probably a normal hockey score, he says.

Advice from the Storhamar captain came when Stavanger Oilers Joey Martin, a newcomer from the British EIHL league, dropped to 2-3 in extra time playing five on four nine minutes before full time.

However, Thoresen’s Hamar team fled in horror, after Stavanger squandered the opportunity to equalize and overtime in the fifth game against three outfielders late in the game, before Patrick Thoresen snuffed out the Oilers’ hope for 38 seconds. before full time.

Here are the tips from VG’s elite series: Thus ends the uncertain season of the crown.

But it started like this:

Stavanger national team goalkeeper Henrik Holm (30) avoided Storhamar’s lead in the sixth minute with a good double stop. First a different shot from Simen André Edvardsen, the moment after he prevented Ole Einar Engeland Andersen from inserting the return from close range.

When Patrick Thoresen requested a frekkis, Holm, however, did not entirely agree. During an expulsion from Stavanger and at the same time pending expulsion, that is, six against four outfielders in favor of Storhamar, Thoresen circled in front of Holm behind the goal, took aim and placed the puck, from an acute angle, over the shoulder Holm’s right.

– I considered playing a cross pass, or “now I shoot.” Jacob (Lundell Noer) said afterward that he thought I would play the record for him. But I thought (Henrik) Holm might be a little tired, he had to save a few shots before that, and I saw that he was sitting down. But the opening was not that great, explains Patrick Thoresen.

Stavanger could have equalized, especially in overtime games. But Storhamar’s new goalkeeper for the season, Viktor Kokman (27), cleaned steadily and smoothly.

– Kokman is a good guy. He is a typical goalkeeper. Anyone who has played ice hockey knows what that means. He has charisma and calm, Patrick Thoresen thinks.

The Swede continued in the same style, but had no chance when David Morley ran forward on a Kokman comeback and secured 1-1 at the half, in overtime with the home team’s Patrick Elvsveen in the penalty area.

One of Storhamar’s latest additions, former Lillehammer player Jacob Lundell Noer (22), became the center of serious attention. Almost directly from the penalty area, he came almost alone, with the puck, against Henrik Holm. Stavanger defender Jeppe Meyer was forced, after being stopped by the moving referee, to drop Lundell Noer, who received a penalty.

That made Jacob Lundell Noer confident, elegant, almost nonchalant.

– I felt quite confident and knew where to put it. It was a good session, says Jacob Lundell Noer.

Then he was expelled again. From the ejection area, he became a spectator of an offensive display by his teammate Andreas Øksnes. In the minority game, the back came forward and melted the puck at 3-1 “predicted by Thoresen”, two minutes before the final break.

The open question before the last regular period was whether the home team should “secure” victory or go for what it had mastered best so far: putting down roots in the Stavanger midfield and around Henrik Holm’s goal.

He accomplished something, even though Stavanger was the best in that area and scored the first goal of the period. Storhamar had one last chance to do something about it in extra time playing five on four, and he did it 38 seconds before full time: Patrick Thoresen, after a goal pass from Rasmus Ahlholm.

– Storhamar was efficient, we went up and down a bit. It was the game of overtime and the underdog that became decisive. He could have scored a (goal), but then the club broke what he was going to do. That was the day, says Tommy Kristiansen of Stavanger Oilers and Sugar.