Serie A playoffs start tonight

03 Mar 2012 | Davide Tuniz

Replay of last season final series between Asiago and Val Pusteria is the most intriguing quarter final

Italian Serie A finished regular season in this week and from tonight playoffs and playouts - all at best-of-seven - announce as very uncertain. Surely the biggest surprise is the absence of regular title contender SV Renon. Greg Holst' s troop played a colourless season and lost last playoffs seed in last relegation round game against Fassa. Renon will now face Vipiteno Broncos, promoted from Serie A2 last year but at the bottom of standing for all season, for playout final. The looser will not be demoted in Serie A2, but will catch the unwanted title of last team in Serie A.
The most thrilling playoffs quarter final surely will be the series between champion Asiago, qualifying by a hair, grabbing last place avaiable, the fourth in relegation round, and Regular Season winner Val Pusteria, in the replay of last season final, when Asiago won the title after a very tight and polemic series, where Val Pusteria lost by forfeit a decisive game for alligning an import player more then the prescribed. This year Val Pusteria seems clearly favourite but the fierce rivalry between the teams and the Asiago's veterans proud can be the difference.
HC Bolzano, second in Master round, will face Fassa without key players as Meyers and Edwardson, probably out indefinitely. Bolzano has a very competitive but thin roster, so every absence could be outstanding. Fassa played a good relegation round and has captain Diego Iori, finished as round top scorer, and Slovak Tomas Cherenko, hattrick in last game, in good shape.
SG Cortina - Valpellice Bulldogs is a very promising series: both teams are playing well: Cortina won Coppa Italia and surpassed Aquile Pontebba grabbing third place, while Valpellice played an outstandin relegation round with 9 victories in 10 games, recovering 3 places in the standing, capturing a miraculous qualification after a season plagued by injuries. New coach, Serie A veteran Ron Ivany and goalie Steve Valiquette were the stars of Bulldogs amazing campaign. The last quarter final will see the challenge between Alleghe, winner of relegation round showing the best power play unit in Serie A and the sensational goalie Adam Dennis and Aquile Pontebba, the major sensation of regular season, when finishing third despite a short roster and alligning the top scorer duo Kevin DeVergilio and the December Eurohockey.com Player of the Month Tommy Goebel. After a great regular season, Pontebba played a disastrous master round, with just one victory and four consecutive defeats, costing the third place. Follow thrilling Serie A playoffs on Eurohockey.com!