ECL 12 Lite: Finals & Season Recap

The ECL 12 Lite season ended in a Reality Check HC victory. It is time to look back briefly at the exciting season: phenomenons, upsets, star players and so much more, not forgetting the final series which offered huge drama and truly acted as prime PR for virtual hockey and the ECL leagues in general.
 

Finals game by game

Game 1: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 2-4

noRex Gaming started very strongly. The longer the game went, Reality Check HC got better and mounted the start of a comeback from 2-0 in the second period. Reality Check HC went to victory after convincingly improving their game over the course of the first clash.

Game 2: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming OT 1-2

Reality Check HC continued basically from where they left off in Game 1. In the first period they took the lead. However, in the second period noRex came back with a goal on the follow up of great passing plays and movement of the whole line. Game 2 was a relatively even battle with rather few shots on goal and no penalties in the first two periods. In the third period, however, there were three penalties but no goals on those opportunities. noRex grabbed the vital win in OT just about 30 seconds in scoring the winner. Reality Check headed into OT shorthanded so they had that going against them.

Game 3: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC OT 2-3

Reality Check HC took the lead in the first period. In the second period noRex Gaming came back and took the lead. In the third period Reality Check HC scored the equalizer with tremendous skill in front of the net at the later half of the period. Reality Check HC eventually scored the winner in OT. Just like in Game 2, the winner was a 5-on-3 PP-goal.

Game 4: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming 0-3

noRex Gaming came into this fight with a tremendous defending approach and it paid off. Two great goals in the first period gave a huge advantage moving forward since the defence was tight. In the first period noRex Gaming was truly in flames and an 8-0 shot advantage after the first 20 tells that story. In the second period the same disciplined defending continued but no goals in either direction. noRex Gaming was a little ahead of Reality Check HC in every area of the game especially through 40 minutes. In the third period Reality Check HC mounted a bit more pressure than in the first two periods but they couldn't find the back of the net.

Game 5: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 3-4

Before Game 5, wins were 2-2 and both teams knew the win in this game would take them one win away from the title. Unlike some of these kind of important games the game did not commence securely, instead both teams attacked bravely and it paid off in the form of three goals - two for Reality Check HC and one for noRex Gaming. There were plenty of events in the second period too but only one goal. Reality Check HC scored just seconds before the end. Reality Check HC opened the scoring in the 3rd period with a huge breakaway. noRex Gaming fought and came back to 3-4 but couldn't get closer than that. A massive cornerstone on the road to the title for Reality Check HC.

Game 6: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming 1-3

Before Game 6, noRex Gaming was at breaking point. Reality Check HC had the match point to secure the title and started off quick by scoring the first goal in under a minute. No more goals in the first period but some entertaining play like in Game 5. noRex Gaming started the second period with a Power Play, ending up unable to score and determined to get an equalizer, consequently without success. After the second period noRex Gaming has one last chance to keep their hopes alive.  Shots were 7-3 in their favour but their good play hadn't yielded any success to this point. At the beginning of the third period noRex Gaming played shorthanded and scored the equalizer with a great combination and shot from the blue line and quickly after, noRex took the lead with a very effective counter-attack goal. Reality Check HC probably were in a bit of a too secure mindset after their opening goal and noRex realized that, running away with the keys to victory in the third period. 

Game 7: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 2-5

At this point, both teams had accomplished success in the series. It was real hard to see which team had the edge in this situation. Reality Check HC took the lead in the first period although seconds before their goal noRex had a huge opportunity to take the lead. After the first period the score was 1-0 to Reality Check HC. In the first six minutes of the second period, noRex finally got their reward with a beautiful one-timer goal. No more goals in the second period were seen although noRex had more opportunities and shots were in favor of them 10-3 at the end of the second period. The situation could not have been more thrilling as the teams ended the 2nd period at an even 1-1 score. In the third period, however, a strange blackout occurred to noRex Gaming. In under five minutes Reality Check scored three goals and although NoRex got one back the title slipped through their fingers during these five minutes. The whole series was incredibly tough but this last five minutes ended up being the turning point. Congratulations to the champions!

Notable players of the season

It is always appropriate to highlight players of the title-winning teams in the season recap along with some from the runner-up team because successor teams have always performed well individually as well. But there were of course some players that made major contributions in the teams eliminated in previous rounds. Here is just a glimpse of the good players in the Lite season and these choices are - like always - purely subjective ones.

@Mister (linuseliel) Reality Check HC GP 28 30+34=64 Regular Season / GP 31 22+22=44 Playoffs

@jezbaru Reality Check HC GP 28 7+28=35 +39 Regular Season / GP 31 6+34=40 +11 Playoffs

@TheArska Reality Check HC GP 28 24+36=60 +42 Regular Season / GP 31 26+24=50 +11 Playoffs

@GERxVillain noRex Gaming GP 28 14+27=41 +38 Regular season / GP 28 12+27=39 +32 Playoffs

@IDangledYouOut noRex Gaming GP 28 26+24=50 Regular Season / GP 28 26+31=57 Playoffs

@Paddyy1903 noRex Gaming GP 28 6+20=26 +39 Regular Season / GP 28 3+27=30 +32 Playoffs 

@Fightlocke3 noRex Gaming GP 28 W 21 L 1 OL 6 SV% 83,71 GAA 1,29 SO 8 Regular Season / GP 28 W 19 L 8 OL 1 SV% 80,93 GAA 1,46 SO 7 Playoffs

@Kauppias4 Reality Check HC GP 16 W 14 L 1 OL 1 SV% 88 GAA 1,31 SO 5 Regular Season / GP 31 W 20 L 8 OL 3 SV% 80,34 GAA 1,84 SO 6 Playoffs

@egoapina Grilli Tulille GP 12 7+14=21 Regular season / GP 2 1+3=4 Playoffs

@Valdoboii Grilli Tulille GP 15 10  4 1 SV% 86,21 GAA 1,87 Regular season / GP GP 2 W 0 L 2 OTL 0 SV% 82,35 GAA 3 SO 0 Playoffs

@KG12PK88 EHC Biel Bienne eSports GP 20 2+12=14 Regular Season / GP 10 2+7=9 Playoffs -3

@Red09Dragon08 EHC Biel Bienne eSports GP 24 22+31=53 Regular Season / GP 10 6+6=12 Playoffs

@Tumpp1A Royal HT GP 30 5+27=32 +66 Regular Season

@Jarvinder Lulea Hockey GP 28 33+31=64 Regular Season / GP 32 32+15=47 Playoffs

@ESSRV Hokurit GP 6 5+3=8 Regular Season / GP 21 10+13=23 Playoffs

@rize1988 Södertälje SK GP 28 15+27=42 Regular Season / GP 20 8+11=19 Playoffs

Concluding words of the season

Lite season offered numerous great games as well as numerous players that made great contributions like previously mentioned. Every season there are always great teams writing new, interesting stories even though only one can win and only few can succeed in the very brightest of lights in the end. Teams that made great impressions during the season were for example Grilli Tulille, who proved that established players are able to make an impact across multiple games. EHC Biel Bienne was also one of the teams that made a great effort. Royal HT was good in the regular series but did not do their best in the playoffs. Hokurit and Södertälje SK were among the teams that did well and performed close to the level that was expected from them.

On a more general level, it was evident throughout the season that top tier virtual hockey exists not only on the highest level in Elite but also in Pro and Lite. In Lite there are numerous players and teams that would challenge opponents in Pro and some even posses the skill to play in Elite and have the experience from these divisions higher up. Like always, it has been a pleasure to follow along over the course of the season, and we're already excited to see who will be coming back next season.