A pair of Florian Steyrer drag-flicks and a beautiful Florian Hackl deflection set SV Arminen up for a vital 3-2 win over Edinburgh University, sending Pool A to the final day.
It came in the face of a huge fightback from the Scottish side who endured a slow second quarter before ramping up the tempo in the closing phases.
The students had produced a lively Edinburgh opening in which they hit the post in the first quarter via Keir Robb from Tom Cahalin’s cross and had a corner saved off the line.
But Arminen began to turn the screw as time wore on, creating more and more chances through the second quarter and they got their reward in the 24th minute from their fourth corner with Steyrer powering his drag down the middle.
And he repeated the trick with 20 seconds before half-time with another low bullet that beat the defences of Matthew Taylor.
Hackl than guided in a third goal early in the second half to seemingly put the game beyond doubt. They even had a fourth goal disallowed by the narrowest of margins on video review.
That marked a turning point as Jamie Golden slammed in a corner in the 37th minute to give Edinburgh a chance; Golden then slammed a shot off the base of the post in a rousing period.
Cahalin was then credited with the final touch after super approach work and a rising shot from Jamie Green, cutting the deficit to one goal with 11 minutes still to play.
But Arminen were resolute in defence to hang on until the final whistle and they now need a draw or better against Lille MHC on Sunday to reach the FINAL12.
