High school hockey playoffs set for this week, in Long Sault and Williamstown
SDGAA girls playoffs scheduled for Tuesday; boys event slated for Wednesday
Char-Lan District High School’s boys hockey team skated to a first-place finished in the SDGAA league regular season, with a record of 5 wins, 2 ties, and 1 loss, for 12 points. As a result, the Crusaders earn the right to host the playoff tournament which is booked for February 26, in Williamstown, beginning at 9 a.m., when the hosts will tangle with the fourth-ranked Les Patriotes from Cornwall’s La Citadelle (2 W, 1 T, 5 L; 5 pts).
The second semifinal will pit the Seaway City’s Catholic rivals against each other. Holy Trinity and St. Joseph’s finished the campaign tied in points, though the Falcons scored the tiebreaker of head-to-head goal differential or second place. Puck drop on this game is slated for 10:30 a.m.
The championship match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, when the highest remaining seed will be considered the home team.
In the last regular-season tournament played earlier this month, the Crusaders picked up two wins (2-1 over La Citadelle and 2-0 against Holy Trinity). The Char-Lan boys also skated to a 1-1 tie with St. Joseph’s.
The final standings were as follows:
Char-Lan 5 W, 2 T, 1 L - 12 pts
Holy Trinity 5-0-3-10
St. Joseph’s 4-2-2-10
La Citadelle 2-1-5-5
Tagwi 1-1-6-3
Ninety minutes is allotted for each playoff game, with three 15-minute stop-time periods. Each team gets one timeout.
In the event of tie, a 10-minute four-on-four overtime frame will be played. If still tied after that, then the outcome will be determined by way of a shootout.
Should inclement weather hit the region on Wednesday, the next day has been set aside as a backup.
Panthers top girls standings
The girls hockey team from St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School ran the table during regular-season action with a perfect record of seven wins in seven outings, for 14 points.
La Citadelle placed second, on 5 wins, 1 tie, and 1 loss, for 11 points. Tagwi ended up third (4-1-2-9), followed by Char-Lan (2-0-5-4). Holy Trinity also completed the campaign with 4 points, but the Crusaders earned the tiebreaker. The other non-playoff team is GDHS, which skated through a winless schedule.
The SDGAA girls hockey playoff tournament is scheduled for February 25, at the Long Sault Arena (home ice of the Panthers).
St. Joe’s draws the opening semifinal, versus the Crusaders, starting at 9 a.m. The second semi will feature Les Patriotes against the Warriors, at 10:30 a.m. the championship match is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
Timing rules and tiebreakers follow the same formula as with the boys event, described above.