Olten vs Arosa

EHC Olten rounded off their pre-season programme with a composed 4-1 victory over EHC Arosa at Eisbahn Kleinholz on Saturday evening, watched by 599 spectators. Guillaume Asselin and Michael Pastori struck inside the opening seven minutes, and Jules Sturny added a brace in the third period to settle a contest Olten never looked like losing.

How It Unfolded

Olten exploded out of the blocks. Guillaume Asselin opened the scoring at 3:57, finishing from close range after Jayce Hawryluk and Joel Kurt worked the puck through the slot. Before Arosa could regroup, Michael Pastori doubled the lead at 6:52 — his first of the pre-season — converting a feed from Patrick Obrist to make it 2-0 (EHCO.ch game report).

Arosa halved the deficit through Gregory Weber on the powerplay at 15:22, with Nicolas Yanick Warmbrodt and Andrea Zanolari drawing assists on the man-advantage strike. That was as close as the visitors got. Olten carried a 2-1 lead into the first intermission and, according to the EHCO coaching staff, then rested their top line to distribute ice time across the remaining forward units.

The second period was scoreless but far from uneventful. Olten hit the post three or four times, while Arosa tested the home defence on the counter-attack without managing to break through. Olten out-shot Arosa 15-9 over the full 60 minutes, according to Swiss Ice Hockey Federation game data (SIHF Game Center).

Jules Sturny put the result beyond doubt at 46:51 with an even-strength finish, then added a second into an empty net at 56:00 to round out the 4-1 scoreline.

Key Performers

• Jules Sturny (Olten) – Two goals in the final period, including the insurance marker and an empty-netter. His movement without the puck caused problems all night.
• Guillaume Asselin (Olten) – Scored the opener and set the tone with his physical forecheck in the opening minutes.
• Gregory Weber (Arosa) – His powerplay goal was Arosa's only real moment of quality in the attacking zone.
• Michael Pastori (Olten) – The game-winning goal at 6:52 proved decisive; his finish gave Olten a cushion they never relinquished.

By the Numbers — Interpreted

Olten's 15-9 shot advantage (per SIHF) undersells their territorial dominance. The hosts hit the frame of the goal at least three times in the second period alone, suggesting the gap in quality chances was wider than the shot count implies. Arosa's only shot on target in the third period came before the empty-net phase, underlining Olten's defensive control. The 2-0 third-period margin reflected a game whose competitive edge had been extinguished long before Sturny's final strike.

What It Means

This was Olten's seventh pre-season friendly of the summer (Oltner Tagblatt). They open their Sky Swiss League campaign on 19 September away at EHC Chur. Arosa continue their own preparation schedule — they have played four friendlies to date, including a 5-2 win at Basel on 22 August — and will aim to sharpen their finishing before the season begins.

Verdict

A routine pre-season win for Olten, built on an emphatic opening seven minutes and a stubborn defensive structure that gave Arosa little after Weber's powerplay goal. Sturny's third-period double added gloss, but the damage was done early. Olten look prepared for the Swiss League start; Arosa have work to do in the attacking zone.