The Frankfurt Lions (in white) took Vålerenga Oslo to task. © Max Pattis

Dolomitencup: The Frankfurt Lions roar into the final

A roar into the final: The Löwen Frankfurt from Germany won the second semifinal of the 19th edition of the Dolomitencup against Vålerenga Oslo (Norway) 4-1 on Saturday. Czech runners-up Dynamo Pardubice await in the final on Sunday, starting at 20 p.m.

August 16, 2025

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On Friday, Dynamo Pardubice unleashed a veritable fireworks display of goals in the first semifinal against EV Landshut, leaving their opponents no chance in a 7-0 victory. Saturday's second semifinal wasn't quite as one-sided for a long time, but the large crowds were treated to a full 50 minutes of excitement and emotion in the match between Vålerenga Oslo and Löwen Frankfurt. In the end, the Hessian DEL club prevailed 4-1 against the Norwegian record champions thanks to a "finale furioso" and is now in the Dolomiten Cup final.

After a largely uneventful opening period, the second period saw a significant amount of excitement. Especially since Vålerenga's fan favorite, Jørgen Karterud, broke the scoring drought after 23 minutes. With the power play on, the veteran cleverly flicked the puck into the far corner, sending the two dozen fans from the far north into a frenzy.

As always, the Dolomiten Cup offers a fantastic backdrop. © Max Pattis

Vålerenga now seemed to have everything under control, bombarding Frankfurt goalkeeper Cody Brenner with shots. But in one of the most difficult situations—that is, while shorthanded—the Lions managed to equalize. Matthew Wedman broke through on a counterattack, and Cameron Brace was there to pounce on the rebound—and the score was 1-1 (33').

Emotions and a “finale furioso”

By that point, the game was no longer just about excitement, but also about the many tough moments and emotions. The stars clashed several times on the ice, transforming the nearly sold-out Würtharena into a veritable cauldron of excitement. Preseason? No way!

Frankfurt goalie Cody Brenner (right) was a rock in the storm. © Max Pattis

Up until then, the match had been on a knife edge, but in the final period, Frankfurt fired up the turbo and took control. First, Wedman poked the puck over the line after a Daniel Pfaffengut shot to make it 2-1 (48th minute), then Chris Wilkie caught Vålerenga goalie Mathias Arnkværn off guard with a blue-liner (50th minute). On the power play, Michael Joyaux finally sealed the victory, making it 4-1 (54th minute) – the third Frankfurt goal scored by the special teams.

Now comes the final day

Now the big final day of the Dolomiten Cup is upon us. On Sunday, starting at 15:45 p.m., Vålerenga Oslo and EV Landshut will face off for third place, while starting at 3 p.m., Dynamo Pardubice and Löwen Frankfurt will battle for the title. Pardubice currently holds two Dolomiten Cup trophies, while Frankfurt has three. Fans can look forward to a real treat.

Lions Frankfurt – Vålerenga Oslo 4:1

Frankfurt: Brenner (Pantkowski); Maksim Matushkin-Pasanen, Bidoul-Joyaux, Niehus-McKiernan, Fabio Kose; Lilja-Fröberg-Dunham, Wilkie-Wedman-Brace, Timo Kose-Pfaffengut-Schweiger, Proft-Burns-Lobach
Coach: Tom Rowe

Vålerenga: Arnkværn (Vuotilainen); Larsson-Ekelund, Oscar Matushkin-Nilsen, Koch-Bøen Rokseth, Bjerke-Mowe; Mathis Olimb-Ken Olimb-Caamano, Karterud-McLaughlin-Kalterud, Røymark-Halmrast-Christiansen, Finstad-Brekke-Torrissen, Kokkim
Coach: Roy Johansen

Gates: 0:1 Jørgen Karterud (22.47), 1:1 Cameron Brace (32.20), 2:1 Matthew Wedman (47.25), 3:1 Chris Wilkie (49.56), 4:1 Michael Joyaux (53.31)

MVP: Brenner (Frankfurt), Torrissen (Vålerenga)

Referee: Moshen, Pinié

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