There will be an unprecedented IHL finals which will see Bergin challenge Varese for the 2023-2024 title which begins this evening.. The stage for this first match will be the Acinque Ice Arena in Varese which will host Linci at 6.30pm in a fiery arena to say the least. Over the years, a strong rivalry has developed between the two teams, often dictated by doubles for first places in the standings, then confrontations in the playoffs over the title.
Season for both teams
The first stage of the regular season ended with Bergen taking first place with sixteen victories out of twenty matches. The Mastiffs finished with a positive 15-5 record which earned them third place behind Caldaro. The second stage of the championship sees the situation reversed with Varese dominating and Berghain tied for second place, just one point away. The journey to the playoffs is similar for both teams: Bergin eliminates Como in the quarterfinals and Caldaro in the semifinals by a 3-2 double. Varese got rid of Veltri first and then Appiano (3-2; 3-2). Thus Varese enters the category finals for the second year in a row while this is the second time for Berghain – after 2016 where he had to surrender to Merano – and after reaching the difficult semi-finals but never being surpassed in the 2021, '22 and '22 seasons -' 23.
former
The strong rivalry was said to be born of intrigues, clashes and athletic delivery. Without going any further, the 2022-2023 season was marked by an exciting semi-final between the two teams that saw Varese beat Lisi in four games, before progressing to the final and being crowned champions. In that season, the Varese team also won the Italian Cup, which this year ended in a Berghain show, snatching the title from its eternal rival and celebrating the final at the Assenc Ice Arena. The current season witnessed four matches that saw the two teams competing with a great balance of 2-2 between victories and defeats. If the Berghain team wins, the double – the same team winning two competitions during one sporting season – achieved last year by Mastini De Varese will be repeated, who will leave a legacy for the team after the Italian Cup. Linci was also named Season Champion.
Calendar
The finals program is based on the American best-of-seven model, where the team that wins four games is the team that wins first. We start, as expected, this evening in Varese and then alternate between Berghain and the province of Lombardy over the next two weeks, until April 13th.
Words of heroes
The prevailing atmosphere within the walls of Sapiens Arena is one of cautious optimism. “The season was very positive,” says Maurilio Meneghini of the management. We played very exciting quarter-finals and semi-finals against Como and Caldaro and now we are here to play the final. The playoffs are a separate tournament in terms of emotion and intensity. Our opponents are very strong but we are aware of our capabilities so we will do our best to play the match until the end. The crowd will be very helpful.” It was almost an appeal from the vice-president to fill the stadium and support the team. Indeed, on the occasion of the Italian Cup win, the club publicly thanked its fans for their constant support for the team. “We even had peaks of up to 750 spectators. People make us feel close and aware Growing interest in this sport,” continues Meneghini.
Society: “No to jumping in the dark”
Immediately after the playoffs, it will be time for final management evaluations. The club's leaders confirm that even if the championship is won, jumping to the Italian League is not conceivable, and the problem does not seem to be related to the level of quality of the team, but rather related to the economic and energy spending factors that potential registration could lead to. Represent. «We are not the only ones who believe that we should return to a kind of tournament like the one that prevailed in previous seasons where the differences were less clear – reflects Meneghini -. “There is a club that has made the decision next year to return to the IHL due to the unsustainability of the costs of the Italian League. It will be difficult to try to make this leap until things change.”