It's starting to look a lot like the playoffs for amateur hockey here in Central Minnesota. The Granite City Lumberjacks wrapped up the regular season with a bus trip to Alexandria, while the Norsemen headed out west to square off with the Aberdeen Wings, a team lurking behind the Norsemen and also looking to make the NAHL playoffs.

Norsemen Split With The Wings

The St. Cloud Norsemen took the long bus trip along Highway 12 out to Aberdeen to take on the Wings, a team sitting directly behind the Norsemen in the standings and also hoping to make the NAHL playoffs.

On Friday night, the Norsemen clipped the Aberdeen Wings 6-1 and looked like they might sweep the weekend series, putting some distance between themselves and the Wings. That didn't happen as the Wings came back Saturday night and got the win, 4-2.

Right now, as it sits, if the season ended today, the Norsemen would be in the playoffs, as they are still in 4th place, but Aberdeen is just 2 points back, going into a big weekend at home at the MAC. The Norsemen welcome the Bismarck Bobcats, the team that currently occupies first place in the Central, and who the Norsemen would face in the playoffs if all teams stays where they are in the standings.

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Game time for the Norsemen on Friday night is 7pm, and Saturday's game time is at 6:30 pm.

Lumberjacks Roll Blizzard In Season Finale

The Granite City Lumberjacks bottled up the Alexandria Blizzard Friday night, beating them 4-1. TJ Lepisto had 2 of the 4 goals for the Lumberjacks.

On Saturday night the Lumberjack's learned who they would be playing in the first round of the playoffs, which take place in your division, the top-4 teams take on each other, with the division winner advancing to Missouri for the next round of the playoffs.

The Lumberjacks will open the playoffs at home Friday night, taking on the Willmar Warhawks. Game time is scheduled for 7:30pm, and fans are encouraged to pack the MIller Buick GMC Arena, and to make some noise.

Saturday night, the party moves to Willmar. That game is scheduled for a 7:10pm puck drop. If the series needs a third game, that would take place back here in Sauk Rapids, on Sunday, March 16th at 6pm.

The other playoff series in the West will see the Alexandria Blizzard taking on the Minnesota Moose.

If the Lumberjack's advance to the Fraser Cup Championship Tournament, they would be one of five divisional playoff champions and/or the one wild card team that advance to the NA3HL Fraser Cup Championship Tournament, where they will play a two-game round-robin format followed by a semi-final and a championship game in St. Peters, MO from March 26-30.

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Good luck to all area players as we start to wrap up the amateur hockey season.