Things are getting serious in Elite.A: the fifth season begins

The fifth season is also coming to the top Italian ice hockey league. The teams only have one goal: to stay in the race for as long as possible. In Elite.A, eight teams are fighting for the title, which the skid cracks from Migross Asiago secured last year. The game is played in a completely new mode that could cause a few surprises.

Upper playoff

In the upper playoff, the best four teams from the regular round will face each other in the quarterfinals. Ritten welcomes Valpellice in the first game (game starts at 19 p.m.). The two teams only met on Tuesday in Klobenstein, with the “Buam” winning 2-0. Coach Rob Wilson's boys need to repeat this victory at the weekend in order to start the playoffs on the right foot. The home team shouldn't have any line-up worries at the weekend, but Valpellice will have to do without the suspended Maxwell and Barney. It is still unclear whether Ambrosi will play.

In Asiago, however, the “never-ending” duel between the home team and the Wolves is entering the next round. The two teams that faced each other in the playoff semi-finals last year are, like Ritten and Valpellice, fighting for direct entry into the semi-finals. The reigning Italian champions have the home advantage. If the Pusterers want to create a sensation, they have to win at least once in the Odegar Stadium. However, they have only managed to do this once this season, namely on February 11th, when they defeated the club from the province of Vicenza 5-3. In addition, Oberrauch and Co. must forget as quickly as possible the three bitter defeats they suffered in the last three matchdays of the regular season. Coach Richer will be without Ryan O'Marra on Saturday, who was ruled out for two games by the sports referee.

Lower playoff

In the lower playoff, however, the fifth-placed (Cortina) and the eighth-placed (Fassa) face each other after the regular season, as well as the sixth-placed (Milan) and the seventh-placed (Vipiteno). The season is over for the losers, but the winners fight against the losers of the upper playoffs for the remaining two semi-final tickets. Milan hosts Vipiteno on Saturday (puck drop at 18.30:XNUMX p.m.). “The victory in Brunico gave us confidence, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. The team has matured into a unit. A difficult series awaits us against Milan. They are the favorites because they play very compactly at the back, discipline is their strongest weapon. We have to fight until the end and not allow ourselves to make any mistakes,” said Broncos sporting director Egon Gschnitzer. The Broncos will travel to Milan without Ludvik, who is expected to make his comeback to the ice next week.

In the second duel in the bottom half, Cortina hosts Fassa on Saturday. On paper, the Ampezzans are the clear favorites. Fassa has to hope for a small miracle.

Elite. A, Playoffs Game 1 of the Best-of-Five Series (Saturday, March 8, 2014)

Upper playoff Ritten Sport Renault Trucks – Valpellice Bodino Engineering (19.00 p.m.) Migross Asiago – Fiat Professional Wolves (20.30 p.m.)

Lower playoff Milano Rossoblu – WSV Vipiteno Weihenstephan (18.30 p.m.) Hafro Cortina – Val di Fassa Volvo (20.30 p.m.)

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Things are getting serious in Elite.A: the fifth season begins

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