So with the regular season coming to a close, the playoff seeding have been finalised, and are:
#1 – Watford Cheetahs – 10-0
#2 – Solent Thrashers – 10-0
#3 – Merseyside Nighthawks – 9-0-1
#4 – Clyde Valley Blackhawks – 9-1
#5 – Shropshire Revolution – 6-2-2
#6 – Farnham Knights – 9-1
#7 – Ouse Valley Eagles – 8-2
#8 – Edinburgh Wolves – 8-2
This means that we will will play Solent Thrashers, away at their ground in Southampton.
This will prove to be a tough test for the Eagles, as Solent as the odds on favourites to win the entire competition and gain promotion to the premier division for the next season.
The Thrashers have been a very hot team over the last few seasons, registering back-to-back 10-0 seasons, and playoff spots in the last two years. Last season the Thrashers were knocked out at the semi-final stage, with a narrow loss against eventual division winners, the Colchester Gladiators. Obviously this year they will be aiming to go one better.
As the pre-season favourites to win the division, the Thrashers have failed to disappoint this season, notching up 430 point sin only 8 regular games this year, and the #1 ranked offense in the country. Coming from what is believed by some to be the strongest conference in the division, its generally felt that they are the team most ready to make the jump up to the Premier division, and will looking to prove that against a travelling Eagles side.
After a tough start to their first season as a club, the Eagles have really come together over the past 5 games, and have gone undefeated in that stretch. An Offense that has generated 310 points in 8 games is impressive for a new team coming together and gave the Eagles the #7 ranked offense nationally.
As always in playoff football, it’ll come down to defenses, with both teams keeping a very stingy record when it comes to conceding points. The Thrashers have conceded only 64 points throughout the entire season, the 2nd highest total in the entire league. The Eagles defense however, has been the best in the entire nation, where save for a few offensive interceptions for scores, have conceded fewer than 50 points all year.
In what is shaping up as the best playoff match up of the quarter finals stage, it pits two defensive coaches against one another. Coach Russ Hewitt of the Thrashers, and Coach Will White of the Eagles. Expect a battle, and with the winner of this tie surely favourites to go to the final, it all makes for a very intriguing tie.
Details of the game and location can be found at the top of this page.