Ässät come back from 4–0 down to beat Ilves U20 6–5 in Hakametsä opener

Ässät rallied from 4–0 down to beat Ilves' U20 team 6–5 in Wednesday's home opener at Hakametsä. The visitors scored four times in the third period after a five-minute penalty to Verneri Pesu. They erased a three-goal deficit, forced overtime and then won in the shootout. A dramatic comeback.

The home side controlled much of the match and led 4–1 after second-period goals from Miska Liljeberg, 16-year-old Valtteri Talja in his first U20 game, Maurice Zwikel and Max Poikela. Goaltenders Pyry Lammi and Justus Vuorinen made several key saves early on. The match turned when Pesu was penalised at 50:40. Captain Niklas Savolainen, named his team's best player, praised the strong start but called the late collapse "terrible." He said the young roster will need time to gel, though it showed potential.

The match follows the team's season preview that highlighted a youthful Ilves U20 squad. Ilves travel to Vaasa to face Sport on Saturday; the game will be available via Leijonat.tv.