Julien Sprunger Seals Overtime Victory for Fribourg-Gottéron in Playoff Final Game 3
Fribourg-Gottéron captain Julien Sprunger scored the winning goal in the second overtime period to secure a 3:2 victory over HC Davos in Game 3 of the National League playoff final on April 22, 2026.
Sprunger’s goal came at the 89-minute mark, firing in from an acute angle to give Gottéron a 2-1 series lead after their third away win in as many games. The goal capped a tense contest in which Marcus Sörensen opened the scoring for Fribourg in the 15th minute, only for Davos to respond just 13 seconds later.
Despite dominating chances in the first overtime—including posts hit by Attilio Biasca and Christoph Bertschy—Gottéron had to endure a second extra period before Sprunger delivered the winner. His tally as well marked a poignant moment, as the veteran captain is set to retire at the end of the season.
The game featured controversy, with an apparent stick foul by Davos’ Lucas Wallmark on Filip Zadina going unpunished just before Sprunger’s goal. Zadina was forced to leave the ice following the incident.
Juuso Arola had earlier hit the net for Fribourg at the end of regulation, but the goal was disallowed. Davos had more possession in the first overtime, yet Gottéron created the clearer opportunities.
The victory puts Fribourg-Gottéron one win away from clinching the championship, with Game 4 scheduled for April 24 in Davos.
