Being 0-3 isn’t always that bad – well, only when you win the next three games and open the playoff doors wide open. That’s what the Ljubljana Silverhawks can say for themselves, as they host the Novi Sad Dukes in a game that can be the final turning point of their 2009 season.

And the season started poorly, against the very same team. Maybe the ugliest game this season ended with the Dukes winning 7-3 in both teams’ opening game, once again putting the Silverhawks in their place – always on the losing end, no matter how close the game was.

After two more losses, it started to change slowly – they got a win against the lowly Zagreb, and finally a big one, defeating the Cowboys in Budapest in a nerve racking game, finishing the spring season on a high note. The beating they gave the Gladiators last week further put them in position to come out on top, and this week could be the final one that could propel them to not only a playoff spot, but first place in the group.

“As I heard that we would play the Glads it kind of put a smile on my face, because they are a tough football team and they play hard and everyone who is a football player loves competition. Clearly this was a different Glads team and I was surprised by that. My decision was influenced by the passion of the coach and team to win and conquer what had seemed to be the impossible which is the playoffs.With the Dukes, I haven’t had a chance to watch them yet but I will sometime this week“, says the Hawks new player, Joseph Moncur on his arrival to the Silverhawks.

Their big name addition Joseph Bo Moncur was little used in Austria last week, as it wasn’t needed, but he will heavily be relied upon against the Dukes, a team that has been tormented by running backs all season. They have returned Nebojša Mirković, their formerly best defensive tackle, for the fall season, but it might not be enough not only on defense but overall, as the Silverhawks are proving to be an improved team.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, the Zagreb Thunder host the Cineplexx Blue Devils. The Blue Devils are as big as a favorite as they have been in any game previously. All bets are off in this one, but in a different kind of way, as no one seriously expects the Thunder to challenge one of the top 2 teams in the league at the moment.

The game in Zagreb starts 1PM on NK Prečko Saturday, while the game in Ljubljana will be played Sunday on NK Slovan field from 2PM.