This Saturday (6:30 PM), the Eagles are heading to Neuilly sur Marne for the 20th day of the French Division 1 championship. Currently second to Anglet, Nice Hockey wants to finally secure a victory in the Paris region to keep dreaming of the podium.
It’s the second away game of 2015 for Stan Sutor’s men and it is not an easy one. Indeed, since the creation of NHCA (Nice Hockey Côte d’Azur) in 2003, the club has never managed to win on their opponent’s ice. A curse that the Eagles wish to break. Every victory at home and away brings them closer to their initial goal (Top 4).
In the first leg, Nice Hockey won 7-3 without ever being worried. But since then, a lot has changed. The Eagles confirm that they have the capability to play at the top of the table. The Neuilly Bisons stand at a respectable sixth place, a position that qualifies them for the play-offs. Last week, they pushed the leader, Anglet, to overtime (a 3-2 loss). The suburban team is in good form and likes challenging the big teams (a 6-2 win over Bordeaux in November). For sure, the Neuilly Bisons won’t make the match easy for the Nice team. They will certainly want revenge for the first match but also to earn points to secure their play-off qualification. Mulhouse and Mont-Blanc are close in the standings, and Neuilly is under pressure to stay in the top 8.
“It’s a big game that awaits us in Neuilly. We’re going to get those two points. For that, we’re going to have to play faster,” said coach Stan Sutor after last Saturday’s match. The players know the keys to success to defeat this team.
Kevin Chifflet
Photo credit and more information: news.nicehockey.fr
