Groningen Grizzlies
# Groningen Grizzlies

Pecoma Grizzlies Groningen were a professional ice hockey team in Groningen, Netherlands. They played in the Dutch Eredivisie, the highest-level hockey division in the Netherlands. Home games were played at the Sportcentrum Kardinge.

## History

Founded on December 23, 1969, as Groninger IJshockey Stichting (GIJS), the team played in the lower divisions until 1976, when it began competing in the Eredivisie. It won its first and only Eredivisie championship in the 1985-86 season, with 7 wins and 1 loss in the playoffs.

Failure to attract a major sponsor forced the team out of the Eredivisie from 1988 until 2007. In 2007-2008, after winning two straight championships in the eerste divisie (the top amateur division), the team re-entered the Eredivisie for three seasons. However, after three losing seasons and weak ticket sales, the team dropped out of the Eredivisie in the summer of 2010.

## Season results

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

| Season | GP | W | OTW | T | OTL | L | GF | GA | Pts | Finish | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2009–10 | 28 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 26 | 87 | 223 | 4 | 8th, Eredivisie | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 | 24 | 10 | 2 | - | 0 | 12 | 77 | 90 | 34 | 6th, Eredivisie | Lost quarter-finals to Geleen |
| 2007–08 | 24 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 21 | 61 | 207 | 6 | 7th, Eredivisie | Did not qualify |
| 1988–2006 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did not compete in Eredivisie |
| 1986–87 | 10 | 4 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 52 | 54 | 12 | 4th, Eredivisie | Did not qualify |
| 1985–86 | 16 | 10 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 87 | 60 | 22 | 1st, Eredivisie | Won National Championship |
| 1984–85 | 36 | 27 | - | 1 | - | 8 | 289 | 136 | 55 | 4th, Eredivisie | 3rd in playoff round (3-0-3) |
| 1983–84 | 10 | 3 | - | 0 | - | 7 | 39 | 65 | 6 | 5th, Eredivisie | Lost semi-final to Nijmegen (0-2) |
| 1981–83 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did not compete in Eredivisie |
| 1980–81 | 32 | 13 | - | 5 | - | 14 | 171 | 136 | 31 | 6th, Eredivisie | Did not qualify |
| 1979–80 | 18 | 10 | - | 3 | - | 5 | 102 | 76 | 23 | 4th, Eredivisie | 3rd in playoff round (1-2-3) |
| 1978–79 | 18 | 11 | - | 1 | - | 6 | 91 | 76 | 23 | 4th, Eredivisie | 2nd in playoff round (3-0-3) |
| 1977–78 | 20 | 15 | - | 0 | - | 5 | 114 | 86 | 30 | 1st, Eredivisie | 2nd in playoff round (4-0-2) |
| 1976–77 | 24 | 9 | - | 1 | - | 14 | 127 | 154 | 30 | 6th, Eredivisie | None (regular season determined champion) |
| 1975–76 | 14 | 9 | - | 2 | - | 7 | 62 | 77 | 12 | 5th, Eredivisie | None (regular season determined champion) |

## Squad 2008-09

### Goalies

* 31 Mathieu Blanchard
* 35 Tom Korte

### Defence

* 13 Jeroen Oosterwijk
* 14 Noel Coultice
* 19 Ronald Trip
* 4 Preston Cicchine
* 44 Blair Tassone
* 98 Ricardo Dijkema

### Forwards

* 9 Derek Bachynski
* 11 Danny Kerstholt
* 14 Blair Lefebvre
* 15 Ram Sidhu
* 19 Jolke Balt
* 20 Zahir Hup
* 21 Alwin Assenberg
* 22 Reinier Holthof
* 24 Klaver Jan Middelweerd
* 29 Nick Pomponio
* 69 Arjan Peters

### Coaches

* Coach: Sergey Yashin
* Team manager: Kees Lok

## Championships

### Eredivisie National Championship

once: 1985-86

### Eerste divisie championship

twice: 2005-06; 2006–07

