Matthew Winick
The Fraser Valley Bandits (5-7) will look to get out of a five-game losing streak as they travel to face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (1-11) at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Sunday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. local time.
The Bandits have experienced struggles ever since beginning the season 4-0, losing seven of their last eight games since. Although the five straight defeats have been tough, four of them came against the defending champion and first place Edmonton Stingers . It will surely be a welcome sight for Fraser Valley to take on a team not at the top of the CEBL standings.
Saskatchewan has only played one game in the last 13 days, with it also coming against the Stingers. The contest was tight but the Ratters ultimately could not come out victorious, being eliminated from playoff contention in the process. Still, the team has lots to work towards in their final two games against Fraser Valley.
Early-Season Blowouts
The only two times Fraser Valley and Saskatchewan have faced off prior to Sunday’s matchup were way back at the start of the season, on June 26 th and July 1 st . Both games were Bandit blowouts, as the Rattlers were outscored by an average of 19 points per game.
With that being said, much has changed since then. The Bandits have yet to regain their form from earlier this season and have not been the same team away from their home Abbotsford Centre confines.
Personnel has been the biggest change on Saskatchewan’s side, with interim head coach Conor Dow taking the reins soon after its second loss to Fraser Valley.
With both squads undergoing significant changes of late, it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the final result compared to the early season matchups.
How Deep Is Your Bench?
While the Bandits and Rattlers both have significant talent on the roster, neither team is particularly deep on their bench.
No sign points stronger than their most recent losses. In Fraser Valley’s loss to Edmonton on Friday, the team only registered 17 bench points. In Saskatchewan’s most recent loss, its bench players only combined for 15 points.
In Sunday’s battle, look for whichever team that capitalizes with its bench on the floor to have a major advantage.
Playoff Picture
With the playoff picture rounding into form in the CEBL, both squads have a clear outlook on what lies ahead down the road.
For Saskatchewan, the answer is not much. With the Rattlers eliminated from playoff contention, their games on Sunday and Tuesday against Fraser Valley will mark the end of their season.
The Bandits still have lots to play for. They’ll be headed home on August 15 th as the Guelph Nighthawks come to Abbotsford for a winner-advances quarterfinal game.
Current CEBL Standings can be found here
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