This is what breaking a nine-game losing streak tasted like.
Teemu Eronen scored the winning goal on Wednesday in Tampere. Stock photo. Vesa Pöppönen / AOP
– Now open the champagne bottles, exclaimed the JYP skipper Teemu Eronen on Wednesday in Tampere and stepped into the locker room.
Traktorpoiki’s nine-game losing streak was broken when Eronen scored the 2-1 winning goal in the Tappara game just three minutes before full time in the 500th league game of his career.
– Maybe there was a bit of humor in that comment. When we won the last time, there has always been a bit of talk about overshooting after that, Eronen dismissed the champagne bottle talk.
The previous victory of the Jyväskylä team was on December 19 against Ässi.
– Now the burden of winning was taken off the shoulders. But the same work has to be done tomorrow. Now we can only focus on improving the game and show that we are a better team, commented Eronen.
JYP defended manfully, fought willingly and created a few good plots.
– This was the third or fourth game where there was clearly a blank. Now we were also a bit lucky when the opponent missed a few places.
Party paint was good for the party.
– I must be happy and proud to have been able to play 500 games. And happy and proud that we won and scored the winning goal.
Golden helmet Jerry Turkulainen prepared Eronen’s winning goal.
– I got around the area well. “Ertsi” made a good move, I like it when the Paks move, their attackers wasted Ertsi a bit, and he was able to shoot well, Turkulainen said.
– Of course it feels good. It was a long and rocky road to this victory, he added.
A new captain
Eronen became captain at the beginning of January, when C was taken away Robert Rooban chest.
– I will not comment on that other than the fact that I am now the captain, Eronen said.
– It feels good to be the captain. I accepted the task when it was easy to do. Of course, you have to be worried and critical in the right way when you’ve been in trouble and faced adversity. Then he wants to do everything he can to turn this around, he added.