Division 3 – Make way for the play-offs! | Division 3 – Ice Hockey

The month of February is coming to an end, and with it the regular phase of Division 3. No revolution in the respective rankings, but the last points taken to determine the positions and the rest of the competition.

The hen A ended with a clear round for the Eagles of the rock on yon (42 points). The Vendeans will not have conceded a single point in the 14 games played, and concluded the work this weekend by winning on the Basque ice of the dolphin, Anglet 2 (29 points) (0-9). The two formations spin in the round of 16, having monopolized the lead since the start of the exercise.

Rounds 2 (28 points) and Orleans (26 points) have tried to get ahead of the Angloys, but they fail a few points. The Remparts may regret a rather inconsistent season, despite a last month with three wins. The Foxes for their part will have blown hot and cold, like this month when they were able to dispose of Anglet (5-4), then concede a point at home against Rennes (3-2 on pens) . They will play in the play-offs alongside Maroon 2 (19 points) who has never been able to weigh in the pool but who has never been worried either.

Two teams were vying for the last qualifying spot, and they faced off on Sunday, February 13 to determine which would extend this season. With in particular a quadruple from Benjamin Aimé, Cholet 2 clearly took the best of Rennes (11-4), which allowed the Dogs to pass in front of the Cormorants. Despite the defeat in the last match against La Roche (1-3), it was enough to keep the last ticket, the Bretons taking only one point from Orléans (11 points for Cholet 210 points for reindeer). A disappointment for the Rennais, who were able to have a competitive team this season for the first time in quite a while, and who missed the play-offs for nothing. We bet that the foundations have been laid for a slightly brighter future. In last place, Limoges ends his chaotic season very far (3 points), marred by extra-sporting problems within the sports club.

Group top scorers :
1- Bohus Farkasovsky (La Roche sur Yon) – 48 points (7+41)
2- Kamil Rajnoha (La Roche sur Yon) – 39 points (29+10)
3- Oliver Resetar (Orleans) – 39 points (23+16)

(Illustration: Charlotte TacarLo)

There has long been a three-way battle to determine the two teams that would advance to the round of 16 after hen B. The two winners will ultimately be two reserves: Amiens 2 (36 points) and Caen 2 (34 points). A game late, it was still necessary to wait for the regulation of this weekend for the Gothics to win the group, benefiting from a success against Garges-Paris (5-1).

Positioned well for most of the regular phase, the BeaversAsnieres (28 points) will not be able to avoid the play-offs in the end, losing in particular this month against the two teams at the front (6-2 defeat in Caen and 4-7 against Amiens). It passes without trembling for Cergy 2 (24 points), in fourth place for months. The start of the season was complicated for the Tigers, but Boulogne-Billancourt (17 points) will also be there in the playoffs.

Brest 2 (13 points) will have won only one game this month, but it was the game not to lose. By prevailing against Garges-Paris (9 points) on February 6 (10-6), the Albatross did not know that this success would qualify them, to the detriment of the opponent of the day. The Grizzlys who were late in the schedule have tried to pick up, for example by winning against the ACBB (6-5), but it will be a bit short for Yvon Marie’s players who will not continue the season. . The Lions of Compiegne (7 points) finish bottom, but still end on a high note with a very large success against Brest (13-1), partly explained by the trip of the Finisterians to ten players and a goalkeeper.

Group top scorers :
1- Florian Dupuis (Asnières) – 29 points (11+18)
– Matteo Orme-Lynch (Amiens 2) – 29 points (11+18)
3- Quentin Labanowicz (Caen 2) – 27 points (14+13)

(Illustration: Charlotte Rossignol)

In hen C, It was necessary to wait ! Both in terms of qualification for the round of 16 and access to the play-offs, the match relocated this Saturday between Châlons en Champagne and Dijon presented a crucial issue. And in this little game, the big winners were the Gauls of Châlons, who overcome the Dukes and at the same time prevent them from taking second place (6-4).

The Lions of Lyonswho quietly ended their season without the slightest defeat pushed only once into extra time (41 points), therefore reach the round of 16 accompanied by a surprise team: in a group with so many high-sounding names and the reputation of the most surveyed, one could not assume the course of Dammarie-lès-Lys (22 marks). The Caribous were a real revelation in this Division 3 season, and they will seek to shine again during these play-offs, with this direct qualification.

They may come across it again Metz (21 marks) or Champigny-sur-Marne (21 points), which ultimately only failed to win a direct qualification, like Dijon, which ended its regular season in a disappointing fifth place (20 points). They had begun an improbable comeback by winning against Metz (2-1) and Strasbourg 2 (0-3): the Gauls of Chalons Champagne create the surprise by collecting the last ticket for the play-offs in the very last moments of the season (19 points).

Strasbourg 2 (18 points) was to hope for Dijon success this weekend, but the Alsatians finally let the play-offs slip away because of the Chalonnaise victory. This is not entirely illogical given the great difficulties in Alsace at the end of the regular season, where they were notably pushed into overtime (2-3 ap) by the red lantern, Luxemburg (6 dots).

Group top scorers :
1- David Kubovcik (Lyon) – 47 points (25+22)
2- Alois Franzino (Lyon) – 40 points (18+22)
3- Vladimir Mikula (Châlons en Champagne) – 32 points (8+24)

(Illustration: Roger Sauvageot)

No more matches this weekend on the program the hen D, which ended last Saturday. With a strong end to the season marked by eight consecutive successes, gap 2 (36 points) wins the group and qualifies for the round of 16. For their last meeting of the season, the Raptors led by two goals reversed the trend against Avignon, claiming the first two places (3-2). This result was to the benefit of the Buccaneers of Toulon (33 points) who lost at the same time against Briançon (3-6) and who can thank the Gapençais for having done the job. Despite the point withdrawn administratively, the Varois fulfill the objective and will play their luck in the play-offs.

The Beavers ofAvignon held the lead for a time, but they finally had to settle for third place (32 points). They will have to go through the play-offs, with certainly a privilege for the opponent, but perhaps a more complicated picture afterwards. They are ahead Briancon 2 for one point (31 points). The two teams clashed on the ice of René Froger in mid-December, and problems around the refereeing led the authorities to ratify a draw between them. The other two formations to move to the playoffs will be Annecy 2 (27 points), which unscrewed after a good start to the season, and Nice 2 (23 points), who did not play the top of the table while preserving the bottom.

In this nine-team group, three teams quickly showed their limits and could not join the fight for the play-offs. The season is over for Nimes (12 dots), Chambery 2 (10 points) and Villard de Lans 2 (10 marks). By beating the Bears in overtime at the end of a marathon match (8-7 ap), the Elephants were able to give up the last place in the group in the last moments.

Group top scorers :
1- Aurelien Macon (Nice 2) – 35 points (24+11)
2- Roman Vondracek (Gap 2) – 35 points (19+16)
3- Roman Novotny (Toulon) – 33 points (17+16)

(Illustration: Aline Roul)

The Division play-offs offer a unique formula, which should be clarified.

The top six teams from each group qualified for the playoffs.
The formations finished in the first two places directly reach the round of 16.

However, they are hardly at rest until then since they will be competing interclassification matches. No elimination at the end of this round-trip confrontation, but the winners will be the seeds of the play-off table.

The posters of these interclassification matches are therefore:
La Roche sur Yon (1A) – Caen (2B)
Amiens 2 (1B) – Anglet 2 (2A)
Lyon (1C) – Toulon (2D)
Gap 2 (1D) – Dammarie les Lys (2C)

The teams ranked between third and sixth place in each regular season pool will play dams. These have also started this weekend in Cholet. It will be two-way confrontations, the qualifiers reach the round of 16, while the season will end for the losers.

The dam program:
Towers 2 (3A) – Brest 2 (6B)
Asnières (3B) – Cholet 2 (6A)
Orleans (4A) – Boulogne Billancourt (5B)
Cergy 2 (4B) – Bordeaux 2 (5A)
Metz (3C) – Nice 2 (6D)
Avignon (3D) – Chalons en Champagne (6C)
Champigny (4C) – Annecy 2 (5D)
Briançon 2 (4D) – Dijon (5C)