Cardiff vs Angers

Angers had momentum after Centazzo's power-play strike just before the second intermission, cutting the lead to one and giving the French side belief heading into the third. But Cardiff's quick response early in the final period — restoring a two-goal lead — prevented Angers from building sustained pressure. Mieho's empty-net dagger at 57:50 removed any doubt.

• Panu Mieho (#63) — The Finnish forward, a new signing for the 2026/27 season, scored the insurance empty-net goal and was involved in creating chances throughout, including a first-period feed that nearly found #11 Caron for a tap-in.
• Ben Bowns (#33) — The veteran GB international goaltender made key saves early, including stopping #96 Duke from the front post with 19 minutes left in the first period (@cardiffdevils, 22 Aug 2026).
• Centazzo (#91, Angers) — The Angers forward scored the visitors' only goal on the power play at 38:15 and looked the most dangerous attacking threat for the French side.

Official Man of the Match was not published by the club at the time of writing.

While pre-season friendlies carry limited published shot and possession data, the pattern across Cardiff's three outings is clear. The Devils have scored 16 goals across three pre-season games (5.33 per game) while conceding eight. Angers, who lost 3-0 to Rouen in their own pre-season opener last week, improved with two goals here — both in the second period — but lacked the finishing touch to complete a comeback.

Angers had former Cardiff Devils forward Reid Duke (#96) in their lineup, adding a subplot to the fixture. Duke forced an early Bowns save and was active throughout (via @dailyeihl, confirming his off-season move to Angers).

The head-to-head between these clubs now stands at 1-1 from three meetings (one friendly result unrecorded in the official H2H count), with all three producing over 2.5 total goals.

For Cardiff, an ideal pre-season continues. The Devils have won all three outings without a regulation loss, and the integration of new signings like Mieho — alongside two-way prospect Jacob Bryceland, who was confirmed in the lineup for this game (cardiffdevils.com, 22 Aug 2026) — is progressing well. Cardiff face Sheffield Steelers at home next (29 August, 19:00 BST), then travel to Nottingham (5 September).

Angers continue their UK pre-season tour with a fixture against Nottingham Panthers at the Motorpoint Arena on Sunday 23 August at 16:00 BST. The Ligue Magnus season does not begin until September, giving the French side more time to build sharpness.

A solid, professional pre-season win for Cardiff against a competitive Angers side that pushed hard after falling behind. The Devils' retention of 18 players from last season's championship squad shows in their cohesion, even in August. The power-play goal conceded is a minor takeaway for Thompson, but three wins from three is all that matters at this stage.