Autumn Open 2021 Preview
This is the moment everyone has been waiting for – the culmination of the second season of EHL!
The best fighting the best, fresh blood and the return of old faces, scoring madness, breakouts and frustrations, alien threat and insect invasion. All this, and perhaps more, you will see at the EHL S2 Autumn Open.
All active fighters in the league are ready to play, and the list of free agents is ringing empty. As it was in the Winter Open, we are waiting for the main full house of recent years – 10 teams, 74 players and a bunch of commentators. The teams will clash in one group, and the 6 strongest will compete for the cup in the playoffs. The Autumn Open is already in full swing.
And now some details about each of the participants for those who want to know more.
Free from expectations
These guys do not have great tournament hopes, and this is their psychological advantage.
Ruffles Team
S1 Winter Open: 8th place (as CROCS) S2 Champions Cup: did not participate S2 Rapid League: did not participate
We welcome guests from the neighboring MBHL league, who have participated in our championships not for the first time. The youngest and most mysterious team of the tournament, which has not played any scrim game – however, this is understandable, since the guys united into a team just a few days ago. At the same time, they have long and quite often come to play on our servers, where they gain experience and skills.
Roster: Slender#37 (c), Muges, lord guzlik, Motor#22, dro9, Foucardek, RakKrab228, rashid_god
All our spies failed, and the fortune-tellers had to give our money back. We do not know which lineup Slender will choose, and whether they will have any main players at all – for example, at the Winter Open, each of the nine CROCS players managed to get on the ice. It will be all the more interesting to follow the performances of the Ruffles Team.
Will be a success: hard life for opponents in every game
“Crocodiles” were remembered at the Winter Open for showing character in every match, never giving up playing, trying to score goals against every opponent. We hope that the Ruffles will also show a desire to fight as a team, and then the earned points are not far off. Good luck!
Pizza Kings
S1 Winter Open: 7th place (as New Orlean Noobies) S2 Champions Cup: did not participate S2 Rapid League: 6th place Arrivals: MigoMipo (Lemons), Slipp, Just Luck No Skill (both – free)
The Hungarians from Pizza Kings are arguably the funniest members of our community. The guys exude positive on and off the ice, and don't worry too much about losing too often with big scores. However, DaP decided to fix the last problem by inviting three skillful players from abroad to join the team. One of them is the highly experienced MigoMipo, who will play for the fourth team in four EHL tournaments.
Kizza Pings’ hockey was always notable for being chaotic and unpredictable. Let's see what fresh blood will change in it.
Approximate roster: Marci, DaP (c), MigoMipo (Slipp, Just Luck No Skill) Reserve players: Gino, Typed, .dan, idolovag
The Kings of Pizza do not share their tournament plans, training exclusively in their secret bunker. We dare to assume that the arrived legionnaires will take the first roles, and the Hungarian group will help them (by analogy with the Winter Open, when NON invited several free agents in the middle of the group stage).
But we expect to see Captain DaP and one of the best goalkeepers of the previous tournament, Marci, in the main line-up. These players stand out among their fellows with experience and skill.
Will be a success: hard life for opponents in every game
Let's hope that Pizza Kings will show their teeth and start fighting in every match without losing their positive attitude.
Candy Cane
Arrivals: hot, angel, SlenderMan (all – Unity), tima#15, crwn91 (both – free), Max Hopper (Ice Creamers)
After the Winter Open, the league lost one satellite team (Limes), after the Rapid League – another (Unity). But almost immediately we saw the resurgence of the IC project from the distant 2017-2018 years – Candy Cane.
The team can be called young, but it cannot be said that the guys do not know each other – four of them played together for the CIS national team at the 2021 World Cup, three – for Unity. This gang will be led into battle by MoNsTeR, who took the laconic nickname “hot” before the tournament.
Approximate roster: Max Hopper, SlenderMan, tima#15, hot (c) Reserve players: angel, crwn91
Places in the attack were staked out by MoNsTeR (a pronounced dribbler) and tima#15 (who recently played for CROCS, and is now progressing on the ranked server). Both have decent technique and we end up with a good bunch of players on paper (let's see if they have already achieved teamwork). The main old man of the team, SlenderMan, plays in defense, and in the gates there is no less veteran Max Hopper, who came from Ice Creamers.
Angel will not be able to help the team at the start of the tourney due to disqualification personal circumstances, but will be able to add defensive experience when he returns. Crwn91 (another guest from MBHL) can, in turn, add power to the attack.
Will be a success: struggle on equal terms
The main tasks facing the boys are to enjoy the tournament and establish team play. If Candy Cane gives a fight to more eminent teams, it will be a clear success and a good groundwork for the future. Let's wish them good luck.
Have something to prove
Each of these teams hopes for a breakthrough, and each has something to prove – first of all, to themselves.
The Bandits
S2 Champions Cup: 7-8th place S2 Rapid League: 5th place Transfers: none
Five bandits left their old team this spring and founded a new one. Having proclaimed their mission to play for fun, they flew into EHL Season 2, where they are not doing very well from a tournament point of view, taking 7th and 5th places.
You can leave Oscars, but Oscars will not leave you. The team led by Nekrvrn is trying to show combinative hockey and tight defense, but all summer they lacked something – stability, realization, technique. Nevertheless, after the arrival of Panda, all these aspects began to improve, and the team is actively training. The familiar 4v4 format, side-by-side play with friends, teamwork and good form in friendly matches – what else do they need to finally show themselves?
Approximate roster: newbie, Nekrvrn (c) (Dr.Pivo, puzikjan), Panda
Reserve players: Kuch
Three players at once (puzikjan, Dr.Pivo and Nekrvrn) can close two LW / RD positions, and this gives a little flexibility. Newbie will play in the goals, and Panda will play on the attack.
Good old Kuch is ready, when necessary, to fly into the field and show a defensive masterclass.
Will the team start winning in equal matches? How many posts will be fired this time? Will newbie be able to make more than 25% of saves?
Will be a success: reaching the semifinals
The Bandits are clearly aiming for the playoffs, but only the tournament will show if they can jump higher and break into the top 4 for the first time.
O Block
Arrivals: 72snake, Tidge (both – Lemons), Mooman (Agents), ZippO, Delikatestrader, Tema (all – The Oak-Trees), BertPushka, JaunaZvaigzne19 (both – free)
While Bandits were quietly chilling, a big drama erupted in the transfer market. 72snake (the best attacker of the Champions Cup and also the leader of Lemons attacks) teamed up with Mooman, took teammate Tidge with him and organized his own gang. The team turned out to be a motley one: Snake himself and his teammate in the Latvian national team Bert; two Britons Mooman and Tidge; a trio from Oak-Trees – Tema, ZippO and Delikatestrader; as well as the real Canadian-Latvian JaunaZvaigzne19 (also known as Novastar).
O Block' play is a fun and reckless hockey, which is facilitated by a good class of players and a relaxed atmosphere. Rapid massive attacks, dribbling from everyone on the field and passing in front of the opponent's goal, periodic collapses in the def – we saw all this during the week of the team's existence. These guys can be really dangerous to both rivals and themselves.
Roster №1: BertPushka, Tidge, Mooman, 72Snake (с)
Roster №2: JaunaZvaigzne19, Tema, ZippO, Delikatestrader
We chose these fours almost at random as we cannot get into Snake's head (and we are afraid to do it, to be honest), so we judge by the preseason games. And from these games it is absolutely not clear which squad the captain prefers, and whether such a squad exists in nature. We will observe and analyze trying to look smart.
Will these gangsters benefit from their chaotic nature? Will Snake be able to overcome his demons and start playing v pas on a regular basis? Is the hastily assembled team ready to challenge the olders?
Will be a success: reaching the semifinals
The league newcomers are only a week old, but they already have something – powerful techies and a recognizable aggressive style. It remains to add reliability in the rear, and they will be able to break the faces of most of the teams.
Lemons
S1 Winter Open: 3rd place S2 Champions Cup: 3rd place S2 Rapid League: 4th place Arrivals: Leafs#7 (free) Departures: MigoMipo (Pizza Kings), 72Snake, Tidge (both – O Block)
On the last Sunday before the start of the tournament, AndrewGaze woke up with a headache and our favorite hockey was the cause. 72Snake and Tidge left, leaving Lemons without the main attacking players a couple of days before the tournament. However, Andrew is not the first time to restore the roster after the departure of outstanding players: the last time it was Zaripov with BertPushka, earlier – 7OnOff and Nando. We hope he will cope this time too, and in order to close the hole in the roster, Leafs#7 was called in.
Lemons consistently show reliability in defense, but most of the attacks were ruled by Snake and Tidge (who helped him), and they both went into the fog (however, in the Rapid League, Jeydon played Tidge’s role more often). Now they will obviously have to come up with new tactics, because they no longer have bright technical dribbler who can drag the team by solo.
Approximate roster: Unnamed, Gud, AndrewGaze (с) (Jeydon, Leafs#7)
Reserve players: W, Gangster
Unnamed on goal and Gud on defense are two stable players in their favorite positions. With the two remaining slots, everything is more difficult and more interesting – AndrewGaze, Jeydon and Leafs have approximately the same strengths, and the search for the optimal combination can take a long time.
On the bench, we see an actively progressing W. As shown by the Rapid League, the guy is making progress and intends to fight for the place of the main keeper (and could also replace Gud in defense if necessary). Also here is Gangster, who, due to injuries real life, rarely appears on the ice, but can still show his class from the Devilz times.
Will the team return to its usual level after the loss in the line-up? Will Andrew be able to rebuild the attacking game? Will Lemons beat the EHL record by releasing 4 different goalkeepers in the tournament (or will it be just three as usual)?
Will be a success: reaching the semifinals
Since returning in 2020, Lemons have consistently ranked in the top 4. Getting there this time will be a clear success for Gaze's charges.
The main contenders
Most high-ranked and longstanding teams with a bunch of championships, all of them are EHL era finalists. Wanna know who they are? Let's find out!
Nordic Union
S1 Winter Open: 2nd place S2 Champions Cup: 5-6th place S2 Rapid League: did not participate Arrivals: egorka, Dkato, (both – from the loan to Ice Creamers), ryan (from the loan to The Oscars), Torres (Unity), Stegen, Erthe (both – free)
Nordic Union missed the last tournament, but sent three players on loan in order to keep them in shape and get some secret information. Dkato showed himself brightest, ryan received a gold medal, and egorka after his return took up strengthening the squad – in pursuit of the ninth title, the Nordics will be helped by the Belarusian landing force in the person of Torres and Stegen, as well as the revived legend of the club Erthe. Who knows, maybe it was the short bench that caused the unsuccessful performance at the Champions Cup. This problem is no longer relevant for NU, as is the lack of a profile goalkeeper, which will now be Stegen.
The old-timers of the league, Nordic Union, remain the main adherents of “smart” hockey: combination play, well-timed passes, the concept of “everyone plays everywhere”. Emphasis on team versus individual approach. However, the boundaries of styles are blurring: with Dkato and Torres in the lineup, who like to make a dribble, NU gets some variety and unpredictability in attack.
Roster №1: Stegen, ryan, egorka (c), Dkato
Roster №2: Chester, Torres, Erthe, Nando
The situation is very similar to O Block: there are two goalkeepers (Stegen will start the tournament in the goals, Chester is not yet available) and 6 other players, of which Egor can mold absolutely any triplets. Note also that each of the second four can also play as GK. All this, taking into account the activity of 7 out of 8 players, gives the Nordics an incredibly variable squad for the tourney. It will be interesting to count how many combinations will they end up using.
Will be a success: winning the finals
Nordic Union are traditionally not interested in anything but victories. Pinpoint strengthening of the roster is another confirmation of their ambitions to fight for the championship.
Alliance
S1 Winter Open: did not participate S2 Champions Cup: 2nd place S2 Rapid League: 3rd place (as part of Unity) Arrivals: Zaripov#25, Bure#10, Federico, Wolk (all – from the loan to Unity), 3sQa (Unity), Frisbee (free)
After a glorious hike for the Champions Cup silver, Alliance also decided to take a break and sent the main four on a dity journey to Unity. They returned with the bronze of the Rapid League, taking with them the captain of Unity 3sQa, in connection with the disbandment of the latters (RIP Unity). In addition to the dissolution of the younger brothers, another significant event happened with the Alliance – Bure handed over the captain's armband to Zaripov.
The team does not deviate from its style, which has already become their trademark – a pronounced attacking attitude, an emphasis on the individual performances of the players. The latest inbound transfer, Frisbee, fits well into this paradigm.
Approximate roster: Federico, Wolk (Frisbee), Zaripov#25 (c), 3sQa
Reserve players: Bure#10, Fox, Kona, Mirrorboy
Federico, Wolk, Zaripov#25 – we have seen this trio in action before, they have chemistry and danger for any opponent. They will be assisted by 3sQa, who during his time at Unity retrained as a striker and is ready to replace Bure, as well as Frisbee, who replaced Wolk in some friendly games.
Bure#10 has retired, and along with other legends of the club will be watching from the sidelines.
Will be a success: winning the finals
In July, the Alliance gang was just one step away from taking their fifth trophy. After resting and gaining strength, they will again try to take it.
Ice Creamers
S1 Winter Open: did not participate S2 Champions Cup: 4th place S2 Rapid League: 2nd place Arrivals: jERS (free) Departures: egorka, Dkato (both – returned to Nordic Union after the loan), Max Hopper (Candy Cane)
Ice Creamers, three-time IPHL champions, left the radar back in 2018 and stopped performing. And it was extremely interesting to watch how the old roster under the leadership of Jobson burst into EHL Season 2. The team went through the Champions Cup very unevenly (the bad shape of the players affected), and the captain began to act: he lured the best keeper of recent years, DeadMouse, and also invited top players Dkato and egorka for the tournament. The adventure was not crowned with success – the team had a difficult transition to 5v5 (like almost everyone in the league), the decisive matches were lost to Oscars, and “Galácticos” broke up after the return of the NU players back to NU. However, now the situation is strikingly different from the summer one–- each player has regained its former shape, old connections have been restored, and there is a wall in the face of DeadM on the goal. IC are determined to take revenge for an offensive defeat.
Where IC's main strength lies is its versatility. Jobson, Lilipotto and Ricky can play different hockey: lure out an opponent by rolling the puck in their zone; turn on aggressive high pressing with the whole team; spam opponents with longshots; practice academic NU-style passes. The skill allows them to do whatever they want, and the flexibility allows them to adapt to any opponent. As always, the choice is up to the team, and we will see if they have prepared something special for the games against direct competitors.
Approximate roster: DeadMouse, Jobson (c), Lilipotto, Ricky
Reserve players: jERS, Shpok, Kredo
Ice Creamers are notable for not being very fond of rotation, so we expect to see the main four in most matches. Nevertheless, the tournament is long, and the other three players are ready to help them: forwards Shpok and Kredo, as well as the legend of the community jERS, who appeared out of nowhere and is ready to show everything that he has not managed to forget during his years of rest.
Will be a success: winning the finals
Tactically strong and flexible players, a winning spirit and a thirst for revenge. There is no reason to believe that IC are not determined to win the Autumn Open trophy.
The Oscars
S1 Winter Open: 1st place S2 Champions Cup: 1st place S2 Rapid League: 1st place Arrivals: Pogs (free) Departures: ryan (returned to Nordic Union after the loan)
The Oscars, which were a kind of “Tottenham” of our league, changed a lot after signing niko during the Winter Open. The team changed a relaxed mood to a fighting one, renewed the roster (letting go of the players who were not ready to tryhard), and are actively training even in the offseason. The result of all these outrages is a series of 29 games without defeat – a record for our championships. Oscars take cup after cup, deservedly being the kings of the league, and everyone who wants to throw them off from this place will have to do their best.
However, Niko is not alone. The current Oscars are a team without weaknesses: the duet of niko and vaiber terrifies the defensive redoubts of the enemies, oree, unexpectedly for many, strengthened the def, and Howl, who replaced DeadMouse, immediately became the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Yes, there are misfires in the preseason games, but so far this does not develop into real problems. The Oscars are used to playing fast hockey and dominating every section of the field, giving the impression that there are not 4, but 24. Even to the experiment with the 5v5 format at the Rapid League, OSC adapted the fastest of all, without losing a single point. It is difficult to say how the team will start to lose – possible solutions are definitely not on the surface.
Approximate roster: Howl, oree, vaiber, niko (c)
Reserve players: Pogs, CAH4E3
The four players who have collected all of the individual awards in the Rapid League are still here and are ready to play in the starting lineup. They will be helped by our old friend Pogs, who can replace Howl and oree, as well as CAH4E3, who is ready to play qualitatively in any position.
Will be a success: a trophy without a single defeat
The Oscars are eager to claim their fourth EHL Cup, but they will definitely not give up their third tournament without a defeat in a row. Only 23 victories – and a historic achievement in their pocket. Autumn Open will show if someone is ready to darken Oscars' feast, or even to knock the crown off their heads.
That's all! Thank you for reading our observations and attempts at analysis. Even if you haven't read it, don't worry – we are all waiting for dozens of cool matches where you can see everything with your own eyes. Press like, hit the bell and fly into our Discord so you don't miss anything. Aloha!
Autumn Open 2021 spreadsheet: bit.ly/ehl-season2-autumn-open.
The very Discord server: bit.ly/ehl-discord-server.
And here is the Telegram channel: t.me/ehl_en.