They narrowly missed second place in the regular season. “It’s true that we lost points everywhere this season which cost us this second place, but that’s in the past. Now we have to take the adversary we have“, explains Fabrice Lhenry, the RHE coach. The Rouennais finished third in the regular season. They face GAP this Friday evening for the first match of the quarter-finals of these play-offs.
A new season
“It’s a new season that is starting, it’s been two years since we made a play-off. We must be content, happy, it’s an expected moment, it’s what players expect all the time, every year. All the details will count“, adds the coach.
The Dragons have no respite. To end the regular season, they played four games in five days. And these play-offs promise to be just as intense. In ten days, the Rouennais can play up to 7 times if they go to match 7 of these quarter-finals (to progress to the semis, the Rouennais must win 4 of the 7 quarter-final matches, editor’s note). “We will have to be competitive right away. These quarters will be very competitive and complicated“, analyzes Fabrice Lhenry.
“We can still progress, minimize the mistakes we made against Angers, against Cergy. You have to have discipline. When you take a lot of penalties, you spend a lot of energy. Then we conceded goals too. This discipline on the ice and defensively will make the difference“, adds the RHE coach.
See you this Friday evening at Île Lacroix. The game is at 8 p.m.