The first time the Novi Sad Dukes and the Budapest Wolves played in Budapest, fires were blazing on the sidelines for the introduction and during the game, for what was a truly memorable CEFL game in front of a packed crowd at Margaret Island. The second time, for the semifinal game, the fires were blazing on the field as the game went on and on, not being decided before overtime was played.
What was the same in both those games was the outcome — the Wolves won them both and in similar fashion; both times Dukes let the game slip away after getting a first half lead, meaning they have much to regret and much to make up for.
Another similarity is the situation, for Dukes at least. While they’re one win down from matching the score they had during the first encounter, three games into the season, they are nevertheless undefeated, just like last year.
The same can’t be said for the Wolves, so a different game, if any, will have to represent the clash of the undefeated that was this time last year. Slightly recovered from the bad opening week in Austria with a win against the Silverhawks, a loss in Novi Sad wouldn’t put them in trouble, given their conference standings, but it would be indicative of the state they’re in right now.
The Gladiators managed to finally beat the Wolves this year, and maybe so can the Dukes. And of course, this time, they’re playing at home. The game will be played at Petrovaradin in Novi Sad, starting from 4PM.
We might not have a game of undefeated teams this week, but we will have the last battle of the winless when Zagreb hosts the Bratislava Monarchs starting from 3PM. After their first home game in Velika Gorica, the Thunder continue their tour around Zagreb with a game in Petrinja, 50 kilometers south of Zagreb.
Not as flattering a description of the game, but it’s the situation that these teams, especially the Monarchs, have put themselves in. The new team that was presumed the strongest is falling apart at the beginning — so far they’ve piled up three losses in three games and overall, Zagreb has maybe even left a better impression.
Much has been said of the lack of expectations for Zagreb, and they have the most losses in the league right now. But the Thunder has shown, well, some thunder in its last two games, showing up to play and even standing up to the undefeated Gladiators in Austria last weekend for most of the game.
One team will pick up their first win Saturday, but that team isn’t as easy to pick as it was initially thought.