Ilves Clinches Liiga Semifinal Spot; Local Derby with Tappara Set for Nokia Arena
Ilves clinched a Liiga semifinal spot and will face local rivals Tappara at Nokia Arena; tickets for Ilves' home semifinal are now on sale.
According to Ilves, the Liiga semifinals get underway Thursday at Nokia Arena, where Ilves will meet local rivals Tappara. Tickets for Ilves' first home game are now on sale.
Ilves clinched its semifinal spot after closing out the quarterfinal series in Kuopio with a decisive win that sealed their place.
After the victory, coach Radek Kucerik praised the team, saying: "We showed today that we deserved a place in the semifinals."
Looking ahead to the Tappara series, coach Jarkko Parikka urged a measured approach, adding: "One day and one game at a time — we are enjoying this!"
Forward Tanska called for improvements: "We need to be able to do better going forward."
The club named Jiko Laitinen and Roni Kuukasjärvi to Finland's U18 national team training camp ahead of the U18 World Championship.
Catch the full story over at Ilves
