For the ice hockey players of GIJS HEPRO Groningen, the view of the play-offs became further out of sight after a 3-2 loss at Utrecht Dragons.
GIJS, which already has to do everything it can to join the best eight teams in the Premier League and thus reach the play-offs, already got off to a bad start. Goalkeeper Danylo Douma, who recently played with the Dutch Juniors at the Under-20 World Cup in Scotland, had to fish before the three minutes were up: Dean Versteeg scored 1-0 on behalf of Utrecht Dragons.
Jankauskas connects
Goals proved expensive on Saturday evening. Matt Caranci scored for the 2-0 shortly in the second period, but no more goals were scored in the rest of that period. Only in the last period did Vainius Jankauskas score the 2-1 on a pass from Toms Breikss and anything seemed possible again.
Indy Bontan crushed those Groningen hopes with the 3-1, although Danny Kerstholt scored 3-2 on a pass from Zahir Hup. However, that was what happened. GIJS is still 10 e in the Premier League, with 17 points from 19 games.
Hope is placed on an appeal against NIJB
The gap with eighth place grew, because both UNIS Flyers Eredivisie and Red Eagles Den Bosch won their matches. GIJS is now 9 points behind and is therefore already eliminated from the play-offs with three matches to go.
The people of Groningen have now pinned their hopes on an appeal that may follow in the case against the NIJB, which deducted three points from GIJS after fielding a player who was not eligible to play.