Since only the top four of the conference’s nine teams will earn post-season berths, the next few weeks will have a strong influence on the standings and playoff picture.
"I think this part of the schedule will be the real test of our season," said veteran defender Gabriel Gervais before his team’s departure to Syracuse. "We have a lot of games in our conference, so they’re all going to be doubly important."
Gervais says he isn’t worried about the great number of games to be played in a short time span, in spite of the challenge it represents.
"It’s always hard, but I’ve always said that it’s more difficult mentally than it is physically. It’s always possible to push your body, but to do that, first, you have to mentally be willing to play," said Gervais who, like goalkeeper Greg Sutton, has not missed a single minute of play so far this season, for a total of 1,066 minutes spent on the field in 11 games.
Gervais expects tough opposition from Syracuse. Before this weekend’s games, the Salty Dogs were a dozen points away from the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but while still having two to three games in hand.
"I expect a very tough game, on the physical side mostly," said Gervais. "They’re in a situation where they need to win games, especially at home, to make the playoffs.
"Plus, they didn’t beat us last year," added the 27-year-old defender, alluding to his team’s 3-0-1 record against the Salty Dogs, then an expansion team, in 2003. "And at this stage, each team wants to be the first one to beat us."
Head coach Nick DeSantis’s squad remains the A-League’s only undefeated team this season, with a 8-0-3 record. It has had success in spite of serious injuries to several defenders, Jason DiTullio, David Fronimadis and Abraham François having all suffered torn ACLs, while Adam Braz had a dislocated elbow.
"Players who came in for the injured players, like Lloyd Barker or Chris Williams, did great," said Gervais. "And there’s Adam who’s about to come back. It’s when you have injuries that you see what kind of character a team has."
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SOURCE:
bcomm
INFO:
Stéphane Banfi
514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
