Arona to Face Undefeated Leaders Molina Sport in Elite Inline Hockey Showdown

This Saturday at 7:00 PM, the Arona Municipal Pavilion will host a highly anticipated inline hockey match. It's a clash between the league's top two teams: Arona Tenerife Guanches, currently second in the Elite league, and the undefeated leaders, Molina Sport from Gran Canaria.

This game, part of the eighth round, is a chance for the Tenerife team to measure themselves against the dominant force in national hockey. Molina Sport has been on a winning streak, with seven wins from seven games, scoring an impressive 65 goals and conceding 31. Kevin Mooney, an American player, has been a key scorer with 22 goals.

Arona, led by player-coach Asier Gayoso, sits in second place with 17 points, four behind Molina. They've secured five wins, one draw (which they won in a shootout for a bonus point), and have only one loss. Arona has a strong defense, conceding the fewest goals in the league (24), and is the second-highest scoring team with 44 goals.

The big question is how Arona stacks up against Molina Sport. In their last game, Molina convincingly beat Cent Patins, who are third in the standings, 11-3. Cent Patins is also the only team to have defeated Arona this season, winning 7-0 in their earlier encounter.

There's a palpable excitement around this "special" match. Gayoso acknowledges that Molina are the clear favorites, having won everything in recent years. However, he believes this season offers Arona their best chance yet to compete. "That makes this week exciting and means we are working with great enthusiasm in training," Gayoso added.

Despite the fierce competition, the rivalry is friendly. The hockey community in Spain is small, and players know each other well. Gayoso described the relationship between the teams as being "almost like brother teams," with a smile.

The team's morale is high, thanks to strong summer recruitment. Arona has transformed from a team fighting relegation last season to one of the league's best. Five new international players have joined, significantly boosting the squad's quality and representing a considerable investment.

Gayoso stressed that having talented players doesn't automatically make a great team. While they haven't reached their full potential, the new signings have made a significant difference compared to last year. The pressure has shifted from avoiding relegation to competing for playoff spots, which is a much more positive situation.

Comparing his team to Molina Sport, Gayoso believes the difference is minimal and even suggested Arona's squad might be stronger. He explained that Molina's strength lies in their established team chemistry, having played together for several years and won titles collectively. Arona is still developing, but they aim to close the gap this weekend, though he conceded the favorite role to Molina for this match.

Arona Tenerife Guanches boasts strong offensive talent, particularly Petr Skoloud from the Czech Republic, who is the league's second-highest scorer with 16 goals and six assists. Gayoso highlighted Skoloud and fellow Czech Marek Loskot as key offensive weapons. Their prior experience playing together in France has been beneficial for the team.

In goal, Arona has Raúl Aymerich and Pedro Feliú, both among the league's top four goalkeepers. Aymerich is currently ranked number one. Gayoso praised their performances, stating that Aymerich is having an exceptional season and is crucial to the team's success.