RiverHawks fly into junior C playoffs

The Niagara RiverHawks could not have picked a better time to string together their longest winning streak of the Provincial Junior Hockey League regular season. Just ask the Dunnville Mudcats. While Dunnville ended league play with two losses, the RiverHawks reeled off three wins in row to edge the Mudcats for the sixth playoff berth in the junior C league’s South Bloomfield Division.

Dunnville, 13- 25- 3- 1; finished the 42- game regular season with one more victory, Niagara, 12- 23- 3- 4; earned more consolation points from ties and overtime losses.

As the sixth seed in the eightteam playoff field, the RiverHawks will be the third- seeded Port Dover Sailors, 23- 17- 1- 1; in a best- of- seven quarter- final getting underway at 8: 30 p. m. Thursday in Port Dover.

For Dunnville, the top to seventh sets the stage for an openinground series against the No. 2 seed Grimsby Peach Kings, who finished the regular season with a 37- 3- 0- 2 record.

The other matchups pit the topseeded Glanbrook Rangers, 38- 3- 01; against the eighth- seeded Simcoe Shamrocks, 3- 35- 1- 3; with the No. 4 Dundas Blues, 21- 19- 2- 0; playing the five seed, the Hagersville Hawks, 15- 24- 2- 1.

Niagara doubled Hagersville 6- 3 on the road Saturday night to wrap up the regular season.

The RiverHawks, who overcame a two- goal deficit at the start of the game and scored three answered goals to clinch the win, outshot Hagersville 45- 30.

Jacob Saddler, Frankie Franck and Daniel Volpatti scored evenstrength markers for Niagara. Karl Lavoie and Mason Durant found the back of the net on the power play, while Kyle Reeves scored into an empty net.

Gabe Maskaluk made 27 saves to earn the win in net for the RiverHawks.

Before defeating Hagersville, Niagara posted wins against Port Dover, 3- 1, on the road; as well as Dundas, 7- 4, at Gale Centre.

In head- to- head play, the RiverHawks compiled a 2- 4 record versus the Sailors this season.