Article
EV Zug 4-1 Nürnberg Ice Tigers: Three-goal third period turns Lehner Cup friendly
EV Zug beat Nürnberg Ice Tigers 4-1 at the 14th Lehner Cup in Sursee on 29 August 2026. Raphael Diaz scored the game-winner, Jan Kovar had a goal and an assist.
EV Zug recovered from a first-period deficit to beat DEL side Nürnberg Ice Tigers 4-1 at the Lehner Cup in Sursee on Saturday, scoring three times in the final frame.
Austin Magera put the Ice Tigers ahead in the 12th minute with an even-strength finish, assisted by Josef Eham and Marcus Weber, and Nürnberg carried that lead into the first intermission.
Zug responded early in the second period. Jan Kovar equalised on the power play at 27:59, converting from Dominik Kubalik and Andreas Wingerli after Nürnberg goaltender Niklas Treutle had been penalised for delay of game.
Turning point
The match turned decisively at 48:39 of the third period. Defenceman Raphael Diaz stepped up to fire the go-ahead goal — his first of the preseason — with Gregory Hofmann and Vinzenz Rohrer providing the assists. That strike forced Nürnberg into chase mode, and the Ice Tigers pulled Treutle for an extra skater with 2:40 remaining.
Zug punished the gamble immediately. Gregory Hofmann scored into the empty net at 57:30, and Andreas Wingerli added another 75 seconds later, assisted by Kovar and Jacob Moverare, to seal a 4-1 win that looked improbable after the opening 20 minutes.
Key performers
Jan Kovar — one goal (his second in two Lehner Cup games) and one assist. The Czech forward was central to Zug's offensive revival.
Raphael Diaz — the veteran defenceman scored the game-winner from the point at 48:39, breaking a tie that had held since the 28th minute.
Gregory Hofmann — a goal and an assist; his empty-net strike at 57:30 was the dagger.
Niklas Treutle (Nürnberg) — made 22 saves on 25 shots and kept his team in the game until Zug's third-period surge.
By the numbers — interpreted
Zug held a 26-21 edge in shots on goal, but the gap in the first period was narrower (Nürnberg led 1-0 after 20 minutes on just 7 shots). The real difference came on special teams: Zug converted 1 of 6 power plays (16.7%) and killed both Nürnberg advantages, including a 5-minute major against Rico Gredig for slew-footing that carried into the third period. Nürnberg's penalty kill held at 83.3% (5/6), but the delay-of-game penalty on Treutle at 26:17 proved costly — Kovar scored 1:42 later. Zug's 35 penalty minutes versus Nürnberg's 14 reflect a physical, chippy game rather than one-sided discipline.
What it means
This was the second of four Lehner Cup fixtures. EV Zug opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over HC Motor České Budějovice on Thursday, meaning they finish the Sursee weekend with a perfect 2-0 record in preseason action following a runner-up finish at the Dolomiten Cup (wins over Eisbären Berlin, loss to Kometa Brno). Nürnberg face Rapperswil-Jona Lakers on Sunday (30 August, 16:00) in their remaining Lehner Cup fixture.
Verdict
A tale of two games: Nürnberg controlled the first period, Zug controlled the next 40 minutes. The Ice Tigers' inability to capitalise on a 5-minute power play early in the third cost them any chance of holding the lead. Zug's depth, particularly the Kovar-Hofmann-Wingerli axis, overwhelmed the DEL side as the game wore on.