SEMI FINAL PREVIEW
March 29 2000
After going a perfect 4 for 4 in predicting the quarter final winners straight
up and going 2 for 4 versus the spread (Renegades cover 7.5, 4Aces covered 3.5)
, we have once again asked Yvon to give us his playoff predictions. Can Yvon
make it a perfect 6 for 6. Don’t bet against him!
Inverness Pub Renegades vs Demolition
Will the Renegades be the first team in league history to hand the most
dangerous man in ball hockey his first ever playoff loss? Mike Callaghan has 2
championship rings to his name and is only 2 wins away from a 3rd. We should
not be surprised that Callaghan’s team has found its way into the semi finals,
in spite of Demolition’s mediocre regular season performance. Mike Callaghan
and championship hockey go hand in hand; to call Callaghan "the most dangerous
man in ball hockey" is a well deserved reputation.
If any team can defeat Callaghan’s posse, it’s the Renegades. Although the CASC
record book does not recognize regular season winning streaks that carry forward
into the playoffs, the Renegades have won 10 consecutives games, the second
longest winning streak in league history. The Renegades have been playing near
perfect hockey as of late. They are difficult to defeat since they usually score
a minimum of 8 goals per game while playing a suffocating brand of defense
that makes it difficult for opposing players to have time to set up plays in
front of the net.
Demolition has a potent goal scoring machine even without Darren Roberts. They
are led the "Smashing Brothers" who usually account for about half of their
goals. Howie Myers is a sneaky player who often goes undetected and finds
himself alone in front of the goalie. Call him a stealth player. Anothey player
to keep an eye on is Mike Gravel, who scored the all important shootout winner
to advance Demolition into the semi finals
The Renegades dominated the 3 game season series by outscoring Demolition 36-16.
But the playoffs are a brand new ball game and Demolition have the unfair
advantage of having Callaghan’s playoff mystique on their side. Yvon predicts the outcome of the game
Inverness Pub Renegades by 5.5 goals over Demolition
Red Phoenix vs 4Aces
This game has the ingredients to be one of the greatest games in league history.
It is quite unfortunate that one of these two teams will go home empty handed.
Both the Red Phoenix and the 4Aces have been playing outstanding hockey in the
second half of the season. The 4Aces are especially hot with 5 consecutive
victories and only 2 losses in their last 12 games. They acceded the semi
finals by ousting those damn Bluedogs, who cannot win games on memories
alone
What makes this game all the more interesting is the fact that these powerhouse
teams play such contrasting styles. While the 4Aces play a more traditional
brand of hockey by mixing shots from all areas of the gym, the Red Phoenix are
masters of the short game by scoring almost all of their goals from the slot;
they also love to run picks and do the give and go. The 4Aces have better
shooters while Phoenix have better runners. If Phoenix don’t cover the point
shots, the 4Aces will win. If the 4Aces forwards don’t collapse their own net,
Phoenix will win. Unless one of the goalies has an off night, I would be
surprised to see this game being settled by a shootout. That’s how evenly
matched these teams are.
Ba-Thuan and Hung will be the key to the Red Pheonix offense while the 4Aces
can count on Tim Achseon (I keep mentioning him) blasting those shots ON NET
from the point. George will also have to be productive if the 4Aces want to
advance into the finals.
While Phoenix took the first 3 games of the season series (all before Xmas),
the 4Aces showed the rest of the league that they were a much improved team by
handing Phoenix a 5-3 loss in week 19. Has Yvon underestimated the 4Aces?
Yvon predicts the outcome of the game
Red Phoenix by 4.5 goals
CASC final
Inverness Pub Renegades vs Red Phoenix
Yvon predicts the outcome of the game
Inverness Pub Renegades by 1.5 goals