Club Friendly· Season 2026
Kokkolan Hermes stormed back from 3-1 down with four unanswered third-period goals to beat RoKi 6-3 in a pre-season friendly in Kokkola.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Hermes struck just 62 seconds into the game when Julius Vähätalo opened the scoring off an assist from Vili Toivonen. The 1-0 lead held through a flurry of minor penalties until the first intermission.
The second period was defined by a major incident at 25:51. Hermes forward Akseli Pennanen received a 5-minute major for a hit to the head/neck area, plus a 10-minute misconduct and a 20-minute game misconduct. RoKi's Aleksi Kenttämaa also sat for roughing and misconduct. On the resulting power play, Eemeli Virtanen tied it 1-1 at 33:51 with assists from Leevi Siira and Tuomas Örn.
RoKi kept coming. Jaako Manninen put them ahead 2-1 at 35:43, and Ville Puotiniemi made it 3-1 at 36:05 — three goals in 2:14. But Hermes answered before the break: Eetu Mäki buried his first of the night at 38:07 with Toivonen and Vähätalo assisting, sending the teams to the locker room with RoKi leading 3-2.
The Turning Point
Hermes seized control in the third period. Valtteri Lehtosaari tied the game 3-3 at 49:05, finishing a play set up by Topi Puikkonen and Joel Niinistö. Just 2:59 later, Onni Lauri fired the game-winner at 52:04 with helpers from Eemeli Takala and Tim Ekman. Eetu Mäki added his second of the night 53 seconds later at 52:57, and Topi Puikkonen sealed it with an empty-net goal at 56:56 after RoKi pulled goaltender Oskari Parviainen. Four unanswered goals in 7:52 decided the game.
Key Performers
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Julius Vähätalo (Hermes) — 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points. Opened the scoring at 1:02 and set up Mäki's late-second-period strike. Player of the match.
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Eetu Mäki (Hermes) — 2 goals (38:07, 52:57). His first pulled Hermes within one before the second intermission; his second put the game out of reach at 5-3.
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Eemeli Virtanen (RoKi) — 1 power-play goal. RoKi's only successful conversion on 3 power-play opportunities.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
RoKi held a 33.3% power-play efficiency (1/3) to Hermes' 0% (0/4), yet the Mestis visitors still lost by three. That tells the story of a game that swung on discipline and momentum. Hermes piled up 45 penalty minutes — including Pennanen's game misconduct — but kept RoKi off the board after the first-period PP goal. RoKi, meanwhile, managed only 22 PIM but could not contain Hermes in the third, when the hosts scored four times in 7:52. The empty-net goal was a formality after Hermes had already seized a 5-3 lead.
What It Means
Both teams compete in Mestis, Finland's second-tier league. Hermes completed their third pre-season fixture with mixed results: a 3-4 loss to IPK (13 August), a 7-1 thrashing of Kalix (21 August), and now a 6-3 comeback win over RoKi. RoKi, who play only four pre-season games, opened their exhibition schedule with this defeat.
Hermes open their Mestis regular season at home against KeuPa HT on 11 September 2026. RoKi begin their league campaign on the same weekend.
Verdict
A pre-season friendly that offered everything: an early goal, a brawl, a three-goal comeback, and a decisive third-period surge. Hermes demonstrated resilience after Pennanen's ejection, while RoKi will regret not holding their 3-1 lead. Mäki (2G) and Vähätalo (3 pts) were the difference-makers for the home side.
Match Events
Hermes and RoKi have met 50 times — Hermes won 25, RoKi won 25, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2017. A combined 285 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.70 per match (146 for the home side, 139 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 41 matches (82%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 44 games (88%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. RoKi are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 7–3 in 2020.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 28 Aug 2026