March 10, 2023
Only the NCDC remains in regular season play among the USPHL junior leagues.
There are five games to be played on Friday.
– The Cyclones win on Wednesday, March 8, guaranteed the Cyclones home ice in the North’s first round. Although we still don’t have the top 3 placement, the Cyclones hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Monarchs, so the Monarchs can’t catch them even if they tie in points.
Friday sees the Islanders Hockey Club hosting the Cyclones and the Advantage hosting the Monarchs.
There are three teams at the top:
Cyclones (60 points, 2 games left)
New Hampshire (58 points, 1 game)
South Shore (57 points, 2 games)
A Cyclones win Friday gives them first place. Anything but that result will require we wait to Saturday to know more.
In the South, three games, all important.
Hitmen (1) host the Rangers (5)
Jr. Comets (7) host the Rockets (4)
WBS Knights (6) host P.A.L. (2)
Hitmen and PAL are the 1-2 teams. A Hitmen win today gives them sole possession of the overall #1 seed (and they would win their fifth straight Founders Cup).
– A P.A.L. regulation loss will do the same.
The South’s middle is knotted at 3-4-5.
Mercer (54 points, one game left, at Connecticut on Saturday)
Rockets (53 points, three games, all at Utica)
Rangers (53 points, two games left)
Mercer is idle and will wake up on Saturday in third, fourth or fifth. Their Saturday game in Connecticut could be do-or-die.
Friday will set the stage, but the final curtain will fall a day or two later.
The regular season ends on Monday, March 13. Saturday holds another five games, followed by two on Sunday and one Monday. Catch them all on HockeyTV!
