Mikkelin Jukurit claimed a 2:1 victory over Kuka in a club friendly on Wednesday evening. The result gives the hosts a point of pride ahead of their campaign, while Kuka will be looking for something more concrete from their preparations.
No minute-by-minute details are available for this fixture, but the final score tells its own story. Jukurit had not played Kuka since March, when the visitors won both meetings convincingly — 7:3 and 5:1. That history adds an edge to what was otherwise a straightforward pre-season encounter.
Jukurit came into this match on mixed form. A 2:0 win against JYP on Monday was followed by defeats to Jokerit and KalPa, and they clearly needed the points badly going into this one. Kuka, meanwhile, had been testing themselves against Tappara in May, winning one and losing four of five — and they can spring a surprise when they least expect it.
The match itself offered little beyond the scoreline. No substitutions, no dismissals, no statistical breakdown to analyse. Just two teams going through the motions before the real work begins.
What this result means is simple: Jukurit picked up three points against a side that had beaten them twice this year. Kuka's clean-sheet run came to an end, and they will need to find something more from their remaining friendlies if they want to close in on a deal with their expectations.