End of season evaluations - part 1

Joensuu are top of the class despite an average mid-season report
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019
End of season evaluation and review part 1
Places 1-5
As the season is but a distant memory now, we look back at each team and consider their performance.

1st Vimpelin Veto
Vimpeli dominated the regular season and topped the table to guarantee home field advantage in the postseason. Sadly Vimpeli couldn’t achieve full marks for the year as they lost in the semi finals to Joensuu 0-3. All of our calculations this year had Vimpeli topping the table and they achieved that with a healthy 6 point margin over Sotkamo. This dominant performance by Joensuu exposed some flaws in Vimpeli and left them feeling robbed of their place in the final. Vimpeli had the best offence in the league in terms of runs scored (331) and conceded the fewest (139). When Vimpeli look back over this year they will find it difficult to take much solace in their regular season performance, as they stumbled dramatically in the semi finals and then failed to win the bronze medal against KPL.
Final place in table: 1st
Final calculation: 1st
Mid season prediction: 1st
Comment: Fantastic form in the regular season, only to be bested by this year’s champions, Joensuu and then KPL in the bronze series
Overall grade:    
A


2nd Sotkamon Jymy
Sotkamo proved to be a formidable opponent in every game and managed to do just enough to win, often coming back from early jakso losses to win in a supervuoro. Sotkamo had such drive and skill that they managed to give Joensuu a game in the final and edge past KPL in the semi final. With such dizzying highs as wins against Vimpeli, Joensuu and KPL during the regular season, fans were left scratching their heads when Sotkamo lost to Alajärvi, Kankaanpää and Siilinjärvi. In the end however, the losses along the way are put aside and this year’s team will be judged on getting to the final and taking silver. Sotkamo were second best in runs scored (323) and runs conceded (165), which I guess summed up the year.
Final place in table: 2nd
Final calculation: 2nd (joint)
Mid season prediction: 3rd
Comment: Inconsistency is all that stops Sotkamo from being world beaters
Overall grade:    
A


3rd Kouvolan Pallonlyöjät 
KPL had such a strong run to start the season, but they struggled to keep pace with Vimpeli and Sotkamo as the season drew to a close. Whilst KPL started the postseason strong, defeating Seinäjoki 3-0 to reach the semi finals, their 2-3 series loss to Sotkamo was on a knife edge and they were deeply unlucky not to advance to the final. In the bronze series they stamped their mark beating Vimpeli to take some solace from a season that seemed to fade. 
Final place in table: 3rd
Final calculation: 4th
Mid season prediction: 4th
Comment: Great start to the season with brushes of greatness
Overall grade:    
B

4th Joensuun Maila
How can you not give this year’s champions top marks! Their regular season wasn’t flawless, but when it counted JoMa were outstanding, beating Vimpeli and Sotkamo to take the title. Joensuu were unlucky not to finish higher in the table using our calculations; however their start to the season was less than ideal. The momentum of the second half resonated into the postseason and they stood strong to see off stiff competition.
Final place in table: 3rd
Final calculation: 4th
Mid season prediction: 4th
Comment: Regular season could have been better, but I’m nitpicking. Amazing performance this year
Overall grade:    
A+

5th Hyvinkään Tahko
Tahko ended the season with a huge 16 gap to 4th place Joensuu and had under placed in the table according to our calculations throughout the season. Tahko only picked up 13 points from the second half of the season and their results started to match their overall performance. Tahko finished 11th in the table last season and they have done incredibly well this season to reach the postseason; however they will need to look at how their performance relates to results, as they had potential to be in the mix for the top 4.
Final place in table: 5th
Final calculation: 5th
Mid season prediction: 2nd
Comment: Very good start to the year, although seems to struggle when under pressure
Overall grade:    

C

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