When the instances of Swiss hockey chose to add a bar after 10th place and go up the one that existed from 8th to 6th, the goal was to make the championship more attractive. Well at the twilight of exercise 24/25, we can say that the goal is completely achieved.
Around 6th place which offers direct qualification for the quarter -finals, two clubs compete for this precious sesame: Friborg (80 pts) and Kloten (79). The dragons receive Ambri on Saturday, while Kloten is a few kilometers to go to Zurich and face the Lions in a Zurich derby always electric.
The Friborg mission is simple, you have to win in 60 minutes. Because in case of equality with the airmen, it would be the latter who would pass in favor of direct confrontations.
“We know that the last games at home were not as good as we would have hoped, we had to show a reaction, analyzed Nathan Marchon Thursday evening after the victory on Lausanne. With matches every two days, it’s a bit of a week of play-off. We will have to recover and let the pressure and emotions fall back, just to arrive at 100% on Saturday.”
The Friborg forward unveils the recipe to apply this weekend and it is not very difficult to make: “We will have to be physically present. It will be up to us to dictate the rhythm. Ambri will have something to play, so it is up to us to prove that we deserve this top 6.”
A nod of history, Ambri has in its ranks Chris Didomenico, exchanged at the end of October by Friborg against Jakob Lilja. In 34 parts with the Léventins, Dido scored 39 points. With Maillet and Kubalik, he formed one of the best triplets in Switzerland. And the Canadian loves when the atmosphere is overheated.
“It is clear that there will be a lot of emotions, supports Nathan Marchon. Dido plays with that, but I think that we should not focus on it. We must think of us first. Maybe some will try to tickle it a little, but we must not distort us. He will try to get into our heads by heating the audience, that is part of his game.”
Nathan Marchon said, Ambri still has something to play. Currently 8th with 73 points, Ticino are not guaranteed to participate in the Play-in. Because between them and Rapperswil, 12th, there are only three points apart! Five teams for three places without any direct confrontation, even Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, would not have dared.
Behind Ambri, we find Langnau with 72 points, Bienne with 71, Geneva with 71 and Rapperswil with 70. The Emmentalois have the “easy” calendar since they receive Ajoie. Bienne moves to Lugano who will have to digest his unforgivable 13th place. Geneva goes to Bern, who can still hang 2nd place or lose her 3rd, while Rapperswil welcomes Davos.
To have the right to participate in the Play-In, Geneva must score at least one point so Bienne and Rapperswil bow in 60 minutes. There is also a scenario where the eagles could be eliminated despite a success in 60 minutes in the capital. This would have to be that Bienne and Langnau gain in regulation time and that Ambri tears up a point in Friborg. The players of Yorick Treille would then remain 11th.
