Haifa LC and Barak Netanya LC will meet in the 2015 IPLL Championship Game on Thursday night. Faceoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM at New Municipal Stadium in Ashkelon.
The game promises to be a fitting finale for an action-packed inaugural season.
The two teams have split their season series, 1-1, with both previous games being decided by a one-goal margin.
Netanya (5-2) earned their spot in the Championship game with a 13-9 semifinal win over Ashkelon on Monday night. Haifa (6-1) dispatched Tel Aviv with an 8-5 victory on Tuesday in Giryat Gat.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to watch several youth games, including the Championship Game in Israel’s U-19 and U-15 divisions. Prior to the Championship Game, Ashkelon (2-5) also meets Tel Aviv (1-6) in a consolation match.
Players to Watch
Barak Netanya LC
Jesse Parker, Binghamton – Parker scored four goals in the semifinals against Netanya; he leads his team and is third in the league in both goals (18) and points (22).
Bryan Hopper, Hamilton – Hopper has been nursing an injury and has seen limited action in recent weeks, but with his team in need of a jolt in the second half, Hopper scored two goals at forward to help
Matthew Greenberg, Ithaca – Greenberg was unstoppable in the semifinals, scoring three goals and four assists.
Haifa LC
Jan Rydzak, Kosynierzy Wroclaw – The Poland national team member doubled his season-total when he exploded for four goals in the semifinals against Tel Aviv.
Nate Archer, Cornell – Archer added three goals in the semis and is second on his team in goals (12) and points (18). When opponents focus on leading scorer Justin Diamond, Archer always has a big evening.
Ted Bergman, Wesleyan – Bergman made 17 saves and allowed just five goals in the semis. His stats are out of this world; he leads the league with 91 saves, a 69% save percentage, and a 5.86 goals against average.
Prediction:
Too close to call. You’re going to have to be in Ashkelon on Thursday night to see how this one plays out!