Visp vs Ambri-Piotta

Visp struck first. Stéphane Patry opened the scoring at 3:24, finishing a feed from Jacob Nilsson to put the hosts ahead. Ambri responded within five minutes: André Heim equalised at 8:35 with help from Miles Müller, and the period ended 1-1.

The second period followed a similar rhythm. Dario Burgener restored Visp's lead at 33:34 with an even-strength goal. Ambri again hit back — Tim Heed converted on the powerplay at 38:17, assisted by Roby Järventie, to make it 2-2 after a chippy middle frame that saw nine penalty minutes distributed across both benches.

The decisive shift came early in the third. Romanenghi scored the game-winner at 40:59, just 59 seconds in, putting Visp ahead for good. Marchon added a fourth at 47:32 with assists from Nick Meile and Alessandro Lurati, and Visp's defence — backed by goaltender Juho Markkanen — held firm.

Romanenghi's goal 59 seconds into the third period flipped the game decisively. Ambri had absorbed Visp's pressure through two periods and answered both deficits, but they never recovered from conceding so early in the final frame. Visp's game management after that point — disciplined structure, limited chances against — turned a 2-2 stalemate into a controlled two-goal win.

Ambri pulled goaltender Philip Wüthrich for an extra attacker at 56:15 but managed no further breakthrough. Visp's penalty kill, tested only twice, held at 100%.

Matteo Romanenghi (Visp) — Scored the game-winner 59 seconds into the third period and drew a roughing penalty. The forward, on loan from Ambri-Piotta to Visp for the 2026/27 season per earlier reports, punished his parent club at a critical moment.

Juho Markkanen (Visp) — Played the full 60 minutes, conceding two goals. No save count was officially published by the SIHF, but Visp's defensive structure kept Ambri's chances limited in the third period.

Tim Heed (Ambri-Piotta) — The Swedish defenceman scored Ambri's only powerplay goal, finishing a Roby Järventie feed at 38:17. Heed was one of few Ambri players to consistently threaten.

Stéphane Patry (Visp) — Opened the scoring in the third minute and set the tone for Visp's aggressive start.

The SIHF box score shows Ambri dominated powerplay time (6:45 to Visp's 1:57) and converted once from two opportunities (20%), while Visp went 0-for-5 with the man advantage. The disparity reflects Ambri's territorial control during special teams, but Visp's discipline at even strength — where all four of their goals came — was the difference. Visp committed 14 penalty minutes to Ambri's 8, yet the penalty kill held perfect. The shot totals were not published by the SIHF, making full territorial analysis unavailable, but the goal sequence tells the story: Ambri answered twice but never led, and Visp's third-period resolve proved decisive.

For Visp — coached by Luca Gianinazzi — this result builds pre-season momentum ahead of their Sky Swiss League campaign. They face Concordia University (Canada) on 29 August before Swiss League rivals HC Sierre on 11 September.

For Ambri-Piotta — under new head coach Jussi Tapola — this is a second pre-season outing without a win in regulation (1-1-0 so far, with the OT win over Bellinzona). They continue preparations against SC Langnau Tigers on 27 August and Schwenninger Wild Wings on 28 August before the National League season starts. The absence of imports from the lineup — Ambri's foreign players did not dress per earlier pre-season reporting — partly explains the lack of cutting edge, but Tapola will want sharper execution from his Swiss core in the next test.

Visp deserved the win. They were the sharper side at even strength, took their chances in the third period, and defended the lead with discipline. For Ambri, this is a useful early wake-up call: the powerplay functioned well, but five-on-five production and penalty killing need work before the National League gets underway.