Nybro Vikings IF staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Södertälje SSK 5-3 in HockeyAllsvenskan action at Scaniarinken. Trailing 1-3 in the third period, Nybro scored four goals in quick succession to secure the victory. Loaned goalkeeper Hugo Hävelid starred with 24 saves for the winners.
Södertälje SSK appeared poised for their second straight win after building a 3-1 lead in the first period against Nybro. However, the home side collapsed in the third, conceding four goals in four minutes to hand Nybro the upset victory.
Forward William Eriksson, who recently signed with SSK and notched three assists in his first two games, reflected on the loss. "We do a decent first period. We have a 3-1 lead and squander the game," he told Hockeynews. Eriksson was self-critical, adding, "No, it's just not good enough simply. I think I'm getting into it more and more but I kind of dip a bit in the third period and that can't happen."
Nybro's resurgence was powered by debutant Joel Kant, who scored on his first appearance after joining from Västerås, and strong goaltending from Hugo Hävelid. The 24-year-old, loaned from Djurgården for three games amid a tough stint there, stopped 24 of 27 shots. "Of course fun to win a game then it was quick to get here," Hävelid said. He praised the team's resilience: "It shows incredible strength in this group. I thought we deserved to lead, so it was super nice to get those pucks in at the end."
SSK center Filip Engarås echoed the disappointment, noting the team's passivity after the reduction. "We get a 3-1 lead that we just have to hold. We become a bit too passive and let them build momentum," he said. Engarås called for improvements ahead of Friday's away game against BIK Karlskoga: "We have to clean up what needs to be done."
With 18 points from 16 games, SSK remains in the lower reaches of the standings. Nybro, meanwhile, demonstrated grit in a match that highlighted the league's unpredictability.
