A wonderful finale! Undefeated TPS Finland’s champion – see how Laura Rantanen kicked off the Turku party in overtime

TPS, who had won the previous final matches by clear numbers, found themselves in a tight spot in the fourth game. Classic took the lead three times in the match, but in the end it was not enough to extend the final series.

TPS is the women’s floorball F-League champion. The people of Turku won the Classic 6–5 in the fourth final game that went into overtime and finally took the championship gold with a sovereign victory of 4–0.

The decisive hit was scored by the TPS konkar Laura Rantanen in time 68.51.

TPS was literally undefeated on domestic courts in the season ending. It won all 21 of its regular season games by a whopping 185–57 goal difference. For comparison, regular season runner-up Classic won 14 games.

In the playoffs, the champion team defeated FBC Loisto, EräViikingit and Classic without a single loss.

TPS’s only loss came at the beginning of January in the final match of the Champions Cup against the Swedish top team Thorengruppen.

The team from Turku won its first championship last spring when it beat Porvoo PSS 4–3 at the end of a tight series of matches. Classic’s previous women’s championship gold is from 2017. Classic’s women also won all their matches in that season 2016–17. In the same season, the Classic also celebrated the men’s gold.

Classic won the women’s championship gold six times in a row from 2008 to 2013.

Skill and desire to win

Head coach of TPS Aki Vilander said that last year’s theme for the team was to learn how to win games.

– I won the championship in that same race. The team got stronger for this season. It is not enough just to have good players. The team has a huge workload. We have committed players and a great team of officials.

According to Vilander, the belief in the championship did not waver, even though TPS had to go to the extra round for the first time this season.

– Classic was effective today. The longer the match went, the more dangerous positions we had. Our players have endured quite a lot of pressure this year. The whole time it was expected that we would win. It happened again. I think it shows the mental strength of our players.

TPS has shown itself to be the undisputed ruler of Finnish fields. According to Vilander, the next goal is winning the Champions Cup.

Won both the regular season and playoff point exchanges Milla Nordlund twisted his ankle at the end of the match and had to be repaired during the deciding moments.

– Now our quality training and desire to win was visible. We have a really skilled team and really good coaching, said Nordlund, who scored two goals in the match.

Classic captain Alisa Pöllänen, 29, ended his career. He also thinks that TPS deserved their championship this season.

– The decision has been matured for a couple of seasons and the decision was finally made when the medal was secured. After the game, I told everyone that we should be proud of this, because not every girl has a medal. Silver was our maximum performance this season, Pöllänen told STT.

Classic opened the goal taps

TPS, who won the previous three matches by clear numbers, didn’t get anything for free on Saturday.

Classic struck first in the match that ended at the TPS party, when Johanna Homi cut from the left wing to the center and shot the ball Noora Vuorelan behind after 13 minutes of play. TPS was able to claim an equalizer at the end of the set, when Classicin Suvi Hämäläinen got into the ice shelf. However, time ran out.

At the beginning of the second period, TPS succeeded. There were a good ten seconds left in Hämäläinen’s game, when Milla Nordlund scored Meri-Helmi Höynälän input. Swiss striker Seraina Fitz crushed TPS’s 2–1 goal four minutes later.

Classic equalized Meri Jokinen finish in time 28.11. However, TPS took the lead again when Nordlund drove to the finish line and passed Noora Laakson. In this season’s playoffs, Nordlund achieved incredible results of 19+16. He went up to tie the all-time playoff scoring record Eliisa Alangon with.

In the third set, Classic runs alongside and over. Sofia Lappalainen scored a 3–3 goal in 45:02. A minute later Classic Natalia Longcloth caught the ball in his own area and raced through the field to score.

TPS did not surrender. Höynälä spun the ball from the corner of the goal into the net with nine minutes left in the match.

Classic took the lead for the third time in 55:28, when Johanna Homi scored her second goal of the match with a long shot. TPS answered fifteen seconds later when Henrika Maikola leveled the game again.

Pauli Jokinen interviewed Nordlund and Vilander.

Updated at 20:03: Added Milla Nordlund’s and Aki Vilander’s comments.