Playoff Recap: S02P06

Both Semi-Finals came down to a single game, and both delivered exactly the kind of hockey a deciding game demands. Medellín ground out a low-scoring, high-contact win at home. Tokyo built a four-goal lead on the road and then had to survive a furious Guadalajara comeback to hold onto the last spot in the Final. La Finale est réglée.

S02P06-MDE-JBG

La LaderaMedellín Mapaches · 31,400 capacity · Brazen turned into a defensive struggle from the opening minutes, and Medellín liked it that way. Isabella GómezLW · MDE · ●●●○○ · Sharp, Wandering, Clumsy, Echo opened the scoring less than five minutes in, and from there the Mapaches simply refused to let Johannesburg find any rhythm. Camilo HenaoD · MDE · ●●●●● · Magnetic, Awake, Ancient, Wandering, Doubled, Doubled, Hollow, Hollow, Tidal and Kagiso MolefeD · JBG · ●●●○○ · Tidal, Clumsy, Brittle, Quiet, Echo, Luminous, Doubled, Hollow, Ancient fought early, Thandiwe RadebeD · JBG · ●●●●● · Wandering, Quiet, Hollow, Ancient, Clumsy served three separate trips to The SixthThe dimension behind the penalty box. Players who enter may return changed., and the building stayed 1-0 through thirty minutes of hard, patient hockey.

Mariana ZapataD · MDE · ●●●●○ · Foggy, Awake, Tidal, Heavy, Clumsy, Hollow, Brittle, Magnetic, Wandering made it 2-0 less than two minutes into the third, and though Thandiwe RadebeD · JBG · ●●●●● · Wandering, Quiet, Hollow, Ancient, Clumsy finally solved the Medellín goaltender at 7:51 to make it a one-goal game, Sofía EstradaD · MDE · ●●●○○ · Doubled, Clumsy, Clumsy, Magnetic, Awake, Wandering, Sharp, Burning, Hollow, Echo answered at 12:14 to put it away. Three-one final. Zapata finishes with a goal and a hit, Estrada with the insurance marker, and Medellín wins the series two games to one to book their return to the Final. Un chemin mérité.

Series: Medellín wins 2–1. Medellín advances to the Final.

S02P06-GDL-TOK

El Rincón PerdidoGuadalajara Gatos · 21,758 capacity · Nine Lives looked over by the second intermission. Haruto NakamuraRW · TOK · ●●●●● · Wandering, Tidal, Brittle, Doubled, Foggy, Sharp, Luminous, Hollow, Magnetic and Ren InoueC · TOK · ●●●●○ · Translated, Sharp, Awake, Echo, Burning scored twelve seconds apart late in the first, Mei FujitaD · TOK · ●●●●○ · Heavy, Ancient, Magnetic, Brittle added a power play goal to make it 0-3, and Yuki SatoC · TOK · ●●●●● · Hollow, Wandering, Translated, Ancient, Burning opened the second with another to put Tokyo up 0-4. Guadalajara had no answer, and the building had gone quiet.

Then Guadalajara found one. Santiago TorresRW · GDL · ●●●●● · Doubled, Burning started the comeback 99 seconds into the third, Diego HernándezLW · GDL · ●●●●● · Awake, Foggy, Magnetic, Ancient pulled it within two at 2-4 with TorresG · HAV · ●○○○○ · Clumsy picking up his second point of the period, and Camila FloresLW · GDL · ●●●●○ · Hollow, Magnetic, Sharp—fresh off a fight with Yūma HayashiD · TOK · ●●●●● · Doubled, Brittle, Ancient, Clumsy, Magnetic, Heavy, Translated late in the first—capped a three-goal third period at 13:02 to make it 3-4. It was as close as Guadalajara would get. Tokyo held on for the final two minutes, and the Titans survive the scare to win the series 2-1. Santiago Torres finishes with a goal, an assist, and a hit in the losing effort; Mei FujitaD · TOK · ●●●●○ · Heavy, Ancient, Magnetic, Brittle matches the line for Tokyo in the win. Ça a failli tourner autrement.

Series: Tokyo wins 2–1. Tokyo advances to the Final.

The bracket has its answer. Medellín MapachesMedellín, who have not trailed a series all postseason, against a Tokyo TitansTokyo club that just proved it can win even when the game gets away from them. Both teams arrive dangerous. Neither arrives tired.

The Final is tomorrow. One game. One trophy. The IceThe living force that created Hockay. It appeared. It is spreading. has been watching all season, and it will be watching closest of all.

À la prochaine.

—JM Laflèche, Voice of HockayA sport no one asked for but everyone needed.

Le CouncilThe governing body of Hockay and Unexplained Ice Phenomena. acknowledges that Semi-Final Matchday 3 occurred as scheduled and that both series have concluded. The Final has been set: Medellín MapachesMedellín versus Tokyo TitansTokyo. Le Council notes that the Guadalajara GatosGuadalajara erased a four-goal deficit before ultimately falling short, and considers this a commendable effort that changes nothing about the outcome. The record has been updated. The Final will occur as scheduled.