The Warriors men’s team, traditionally very much the underdogs as far as indoor hockey is concerned, has made an incredible comeback this season. For the first time in the club’s history they have finished at the top of the table. With this spectacular result they secured their place in the gold medal match of the Finnish Championship this Sunday in Hämeenlinna!
They had a rocky, yet encouraging, start to the season with a win, two narrow losses, and a heroic draw against Kilppari after fighting back from 3-0 down at half time. With another loss in the second half of the season, they went into the penultimate match day knowing they needed at least one win to possibly move up into the bronze match. But what followed were two convincing victories against Kilppari and current champions ABC with an excellent display of teamwork and patience.
The Warriors had guaranteed their place in the bronze match. Then it all came down to the last game of the season yesterday evening, a victory against Vantaa required to relegate ABC and face HT-85 for gold. Initially behind, and despite the pressure, they fought back to build up a 5-2 lead going into the final quarter. But Vantaa rallied to bring it back to 5-4 and were awarded a penalty corner at the final whistle. The tension in the hall was palpable. With everything on the line the Warriors held their nerve and defended, securing their historic place in the gold match this weekend!
As a club we are immensely proud of their achievements this season and we wish them all the best as they fight for gold this Sunday. The matches are open to the public with free admission, at Jukolan Koulu, Liivuorentie 24, 13500 Hämeenlinna on Sunday the 5th of February. We encourage everyone to come and support hockey in Finland, with matches from 11:00 to 16:30.
Warriors HC 