Originally scheduled for Saturday, November 14 and postponed following the Paris attacks, Nice Hockey will face Anglet tonight for the tenth day of D1. The Eagles are determined to continue their home unbeaten streak in a match that promises to be decisive in the race for the championship’s top spot.
Last year, the two teams met in the play-off semi-finals, with Anglet winning two games to none. This year, they are once again the frontrunners of D1. “It’s a match we’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the season, the encounter has been marked on our calendar since its announcement,” says Stan Sutor, the club’s coach. Nice, still the leader, has only suffered two defeats this season and claimed a hard-fought victory over Dunkerque this weekend (3-2 after overtime). The Eagles are keen to continue their fine run at their Jean-Bouin home (5 matches, 5 wins). For this, they can rely on their top scorers, Hampl and Kubus, who have both scored nine goals this year. The defense is equally solid thanks to their goalkeeper Sedlacek, who has made 69% saves since the beginning of the season. With the second-best offense and best defense in the league, the Nice team can aim for another victory to solidify their lead in the standings and further distance tonight’s opponent. “They are our main rivals for promotion. It will allow us to see where we stand and make an impression if we win. We need to be at our best to compare ourselves to them and win,” explains the club’s coach.
Behind them, Anglet is not far off. Third in the standings, three points behind Nice, the Basques are coming off a loss on the road to Nantes (5-3) this weekend. Very strong offensively, Anglet boasts the best attack in the league (76 goals in 12 matches, including a 17-2 against Val-Vanoise). This team can notably rely on the three best passers in the league as well as Mathieu Andre, the second top scorer in D1 with ten goals. In addition to being effective in front of goals, Anglet also has the second-best defense in D1. “Anglet has a strong work ethic, they have quality and experience. It will be important to get into the game quickly,” says the Eagles’ coach.
All the ingredients are in place for a great hockey match tonight at 7:15 PM at the Jean Bouin ice rink.
Alexandre Demesy
