Club Friendly· Season 2026
KooKoo U20 beat SaiPa U20 3-2 in a pre-season friendly at Lappeenrannan Kisapuisto on 21 August 2026, with Matti Butkovskiy continuing his strong pre-season form.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The match kicked off at 17:00 local time at Lappeenrannan jäähalli (Kisapuisto) in front of a home crowd. Detailed period scores and goal-scorer data were not available from official sources at the time of writing, but the final scoreline shows KooKoo taking a 3-2 victory on SaiPa's home ice.
Both teams used the fixture as a key preparation step ahead of the upcoming U20 SM-sarja season. SaiPa fielded a squad featuring Czech goalkeeper Krystof Stepanek (#30) alongside Ville-Veikko Hiltunen (#31) in net, with Botond Besenyei, Vojtech Hora and Jonatan Länsivuori anchoring the defence, and forwards Olli Eloranta, Svit Habjanic, Noel Kokkonen and Joonas Rajala leading the attack.
For KooKoo, Jesse Tuomainen (#32) started in goal with August Uutela (#35) as backup. Marc Bissig, the Swiss forward who joined KooKoo in the off-season, featured in the lineup alongside Matti Butkovskiy — the team's leading pre-season scorer with 1+4=5 points in the previous two friendlies — and captain Matej Belohlav's alternate captains Eemeli Kantanen and Roope Rajala.
The Turning Point
With KooKoo having won their preceding friendlies against Jukurit (4-1 on 19 August) and Pelicans (3-1 on 31 July), the visitors carried stronger pre-season momentum into the fixture. The decisive moment came in the latter stages, with KooKoo holding off a SaiPa push to secure the 3-2 win — mirroring the narrow margins that have defined this rivalry historically, where 79% of meetings have seen both teams score.
Key Performers
Matti Butkovskiy (KooKoo U20) — The forward entered the match with five points from two pre-season games (1 goal, 4 assists) and continued to be a central creative force for KooKoo's attack. Butkovskiy has been involved in seven of KooKoo's ten pre-season goals across their first three friendlies.
Jesse Tuomainen (KooKoo U20) — The starting goaltender earned the win for KooKoo, having previously posted 25 saves in the 4-1 victory over Jukurit on 14 August.
Joonas Rajala (SaiPa U20) — One of SaiPa's key attacking options, the forward was instrumental in SaiPa's two goals.
Player of the Match: Not officially awarded — Matti Butkovskiy (KooKoo U20) the standout performer based on pre-season form and influence.
By the Numbers
The fixture's long-standing trend for goals continued — 97% of all 33 meetings between these sides have featured over 2.5 goals, and this 2-3 scoreline was consistent with the historical average of 6.55 goals per game for the rivalry. Both teams scored for the 26th time in 33 meetings (79%), continuing another established pattern.
SaiPa will have been encouraged by keeping the margin to a single goal after KooKoo's 5-0 demolition of SaiPa in the same fixture in August 2025.
What It Means
Both sides are in the final phase of pre-season preparations for the 2026-27 U20 SM-sarja campaign. KooKoo U20 now hold a 3-2 pre-season record (friendlies against Pelicans, HPK twice, Jukurits twice and SaiPa). SaiPa continue their pre-season schedule with a home friendly against Jukurit on 26 August at Kisapuisto, followed by a road game against HPK on 22 August.
KooKoo's final pre-season fixture is away to Pelicans in Lahti on 27 August before the U20 SM-sarja regular season begins in September.
Verdict
A tight, competitive Kaakon Derby that followed the rivalry's established script: narrow margins, goals at both ends, and KooKoo edging ahead on the road. KooKoo's pre-season momentum — built on strong performances from Butkovskiy and Tuomainen — gives them a solid platform heading into the regular season. SaiPa will take the narrow defeat as a useful benchmark ahead of their remaining friendlies.
Rivalry since 2017
SaiPa U20 vs KooKoo U20 Head to Head Results· 33
SaiPa U20 and KooKoo U20 have met 33 times — SaiPa U20 won 16, KooKoo U20 won 17, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2017. KooKoo U20 leads the head-to-head with 17 victories from 33 meetings. A combined 216 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.55 per match (105 for the home side, 111 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 26 matches (79%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 32 games (97%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–9 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 22 Aug 2026