Rouen lost 1-5 to Ajoie in a club friendly on Sunday evening at the Patinoire de la Patinoire. The hosts took an early lead through a power-play goal before Ajoie worked back into the contest. By then the visitors had carved them open with a series of quick transitions.
Ajoie came in with momentum from their recent run — a 5-6 defeat to Bül on Thursday followed three losses to Ambrì-Piotta in March. They did not travel to make up the numbers, and their tempo in the opening period suggested as much. Rouen, meanwhile, had found form against Amiens with a 2-1 win before a string of narrow defeats to Bordeaux.
The hosts equalised through a short corner opportunity, but Ajoie answered almost immediately. The visitors worked a clean breakaway, and their striker held his nerve to slot home. It was the kind of moment that changes the shape of a game.
Rouen pushed for more but Ajoie kept their side in it with disciplined defending. The visitors added two more goals in the final period, each time capitalising on defensive errors. Rouen could raise the tempo when they needed to, but the margin had already become too wide.
The result leaves Rouen with mixed signals ahead of their season — the win against Amiens showed promise, but the five losses since highlighted vulnerabilities. Ajoie's recent form suggests they can compete at a higher level, even if consistency remains an issue.