The Princeton Posse is in Summerland tonight for the first game of the playoffs in the Okanagan Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
“They are fired up and ready to go,” said coach Mark McNaughton, in an interview with The Spotlight this morning
McNaughton said the match up between Princeton and Summerland Steam is about as close as it gets in playoff hockey.
Summerland finished second in the regular season with 54 points, ahead of third place Princeton with 43.
The teams have met six times so far this year and the record is 3-3, with Summerland scoring 16 goals and Princeton notching 15.
McNaughton said the team is feeling confident, with seven wins in the last eight games, heading into the best of seven series.
“The big thing that we have going for us right now is we went in there and won our last game in their rink and we actually won the last two games against them.”
Princeton will leverage its defensive strength in the series, he said.
“I think we have the upper hand in the back end and in the net. Our D-corp has figured out how to play with each other…the guys are playing on the right side of the puck.”
The challenge will be to shoot down Summerland’s offensive powerhouses, he added
“These are two teams that know each other very well and they are going to have to work hard for every puck.”
The Posse will play in Summerland February 26 and 27, and is back home for two games on the weekend, Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Elsewhere in the division first place Kelowna is playing fourth place Osoyoos for advancement.
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