2014 has been an amazingly close season. With the semi-finalists decided one week before the end of the season, there are still questions to be answered, especially which teams will play off in the finals and who will claim the minor premiership.
At the conclusion of the penultimate weekend of the AIHL season, the Melbourne Mustangs and Melbourne Ice are tied on the top of the AIHL ladder. With two games to play each, there is a chance that the two Melbourne clubs could still be tied at the end of the regular season.
If this is the case, the AIHL uses IHA tiebreaker rules, which are:
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Step 1: Taking into consideration the games between each of the tied teams, a sub-group is created applying the points awarded in the direct games amongst the tied teams
Step 2: Should the teams still remain tied then the better goal difference in the direct games amongst the tied teams will be decisive.
Step 3: Should the teams still remain tied then the highest number of goals scored by these teams in their direct games will be decisive.
Step 4: If still tied then the results between each of the tams and the closest best-ranked team will be applied. In this case the tied team with the best result (1. points, 2. goal difference, 3. more goals scored) against the closest best ranked-team will take precedence.
Step 5: Should the teams still remain tied, then the results between each of the t teams and the next highest best-ranked team outside the sub-group will be applied.
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With this being said, the results between the two teams this season have been:
Game #5 | April 19 | Mustangs 2 @ Ice 3(SO) |
Game #17 | May 10 | Ice 5 @ Mustangs 3 |
Game #43 | June 5 | Mustangs 8 @ Ice 3 |
Game #101 | August 14 | Ice 5 @ Mustangs 1 |
In the season series, the Ice claimed eight of the 12 points between the clubs in 2014.
Should the Ice and Mustangs be even on points at the conclusion of this weekend, the Ice will claim the minor premiership.