Grange & Wildcats play-off with Kelburne awaiting the winner

 

Grange and Western Wildcats will battle it out for a place in the Aberdeen Asset Management National League Grand Final when the two sides clash at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on Saturday.
The winners will be guaranteed a place in Europe next season and a crack at breaking Glynhill Kelburne’s league dominance at the Grand Final on Sunday in Glasgow.
Wildcats go into Saturday’s match having comprehensively defeating the capital side 5-2 in a recent league encounter at Auchenhowie.  However, Grange are a difficult side to beat, with the sides sharing a score draw early in the season.  Whist Wildcats will be favourites, Grange may have too much experience on the day.
The victors will then face the unenviable task of squaring up to nine time league champions Glynhill Kelburne, who are champions elect based on their dominance of the league in its standard format.
Both Grange and Western have taken points off the Paisley men this season, so will have the belief required to cause a massive upset and not only clinch an EHL spot but also the league title.  Kelburne, however, are great performers on the big stage and may have too much firepower for whoever they face on Sunday.
In the bottom half of the league, it is crunch time for Inverleith, Uddingston, Edinburgh University, Grove Menzieshill and Gordonians as they look to avoid a ‘winner takes all’ relegation play-off match on Sunday.
Watsonians and Dundee Wanderers failed to pick up any points and are resigned to a relegation play-off match with their opponent’s to be decided after Saturday’s matches.
In Pool A, despite sitting at the top of the pile, Grove Menzieshill must win to guarantee top flight hockey next season.  A similar predicament awaits their opponents Edinburgh University, when a win will be enough on the day.
Gordonians have arguably the easiest match and passage to safety as they face up to bottom side Watsonians.  A truly intriguing group, in which the biggest upset could see Scottish Cup holders Grove Menzieshill drop from first to third if defeated by Edinburgh University.  If this were to happen they would face city rivals Dundee Wanderers in a seventy minute fight for survival.
While this would be a terrific spectacle, Menzieshill should be able to hold off the challenge of the Edinburgh students, therefore consigning them to the play off.  Prediction for Pool A is for Grove Menzieshill and Gordonians to top the group, with the students third and Watsonians fourth.
In Pool B the odds are stacked in Inverleith’s favour with 6 points from two matches and a six goal cushion in terms of their goal difference. However, it is mathematically possible the purple robes could finish third on goal difference.
For this to transpire not only would Uddingston have to beat them by a winning at margin of three or more, but Clydesdale would have to achieve a similar winning margin against Dundee Wanderers.
The most likely outcome is for Inverleith to come out on top in the battle of the drag flickers against Uddingston.
Meanwhile Clydesdale should have enough strength in depth to see off Dundee Wanderers.
Predictions for Pool B are for Inverleith to top the pool undefeated with Clydesdale runners up with two wins.  Uddingston will be resigned to a play-off against division two rivals Watsonians, meanwhile Dundee Wanderers will have to most likely face Edinburgh University on the Sunday.

Grange and Western Wildcats will battle it out for a place in the Aberdeen Asset Management National League Grand Final when the two sides clash at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on Saturday.

The winners will be guaranteed a place in Europe next season and a crack at breaking Glynhill Kelburne’s league dominance at the Grand Final on Sunday in Glasgow.

Wildcats go into Saturday’s match having comprehensively defeating the capital side 5-2 in a recent league encounter at Auchenhowie.  However, Grange are a difficult side to beat, with the sides sharing a score draw early in the season.  Whist Wildcats will be favourites, Grange may have too much experience on the day.

The victors will then face the unenviable task of squaring up to nine time league champions Glynhill Kelburne, who are champions elect based on their dominance of the league in its standard format.

Both Grange and Western have taken points off the Paisley men this season, so will have the belief required to cause a massive upset and not only clinch an EHL spot but also the league title.  Kelburne, however, are great performers on the big stage and may have too much firepower for whoever they face on Sunday.

In the bottom half of the league, it is crunch time for Inverleith, Uddingston, Edinburgh University, Grove Menzieshill and Gordonians as they look to avoid a ‘winner takes all’ relegation play-off match on Sunday.

Watsonians and Dundee Wanderers failed to pick up any points and are resigned to a relegation play-off match with their opponent’s to be decided after Saturday’s matches.

In Pool A, despite sitting at the top of the pile, Grove Menzieshill must win to guarantee top flight hockey next season.  A similar predicament awaits their opponents Edinburgh University, when a win will be enough on the day.

Gordonians have arguably the easiest match and passage to safety as they face up to bottom side Watsonians.  A truly intriguing group, in which the biggest upset could see Scottish Cup holders Grove Menzieshill drop from first to third if defeated by Edinburgh University.  If this were to happen they would face city rivals Dundee Wanderers in a seventy minute fight for survival.

While this would be a terrific spectacle, Menzieshill should be able to hold off the challenge of the Edinburgh students, therefore consigning them to the play off.

Prediction for Pool A is for Grove Menzieshill and Gordonians to top the group, with the students third and Watsonians fourth.

In Pool B the odds are stacked in Inverleith’s favour with 6 points from two matches and a six goal cushion in terms of their goal difference. However, it is mathematically possible the purple robes could finish third on goal difference.

For this to transpire not only would Uddingston have to beat them by a winning at margin of three or more, but Clydesdale would have to achieve a similar winning margin against Dundee Wanderers.

The most likely outcome is for Inverleith to come out on top in the battle of the drag flickers against Uddingston.

Meanwhile Clydesdale should have enough strength in depth to see off Dundee Wanderers.

Predictions for Pool B are for Inverleith to top the pool undefeated with Clydesdale runners up with two wins.  Uddingston will be resigned to a play-off against division two rivals Watsonians, meanwhile Dundee Wanderers will have to most likely face Edinburgh University on the Sunday.

 

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