Contrary to the running grey direwolf upon which House Stark was founded, the Brossard incarnation is hoping there will be a little extra Spring in their final step.

“Emotions can get the better of us during this time,” explains captain Bobby Kaminogiannakis, somewhat stoically for a man whose crew is still one final win shy of breaching Brossard’s B2 Division playoff berth. “We held our cool, didn’t give up and were able to come up on top last game.”

Few divisions in the league can boast such a tight playoff race. Beyond the throne of the dominant Pugz, there are only eight points separating the remaining seven teams. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this past Sunday’s House Stark/FC Real battle.

House Stark was up 3-1 at the half, leading an opponent sitting on a five-point cushion for the sixth and final playoff spot. When that lead was cut to one, Bobby responded with a bottom right hand corner stinger from 25 feet out to make it 4-2. And still FC Real found a way to tie the game at four. Desperate actions prevailed. “In the dying seconds, I took a free kick from about the half line, which ended up leading to a penalty shot,” recounts Bobby. “Ioannis Fokas capitalized for the game winner.”

Unable to string together a pair of victories all winter long, House Stark will now have to defeat fellow cellar-dwellers FC Classic and then rely on second-seed Team Canada to do them a solid by beating FC Real in regulation one hour later. Nothing less will do.

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