The Hamilton Southeastern B team travels to Fort Wayne this Friday, February 20, for their first postseason matchup against the Central Indiana Knights (CIK) B. Scheduled at the PSM Icehouse. In this matchup, HSE is the 3-seed while the Knights are the 6-seed.

HSE enters the game as the higher seed, currently holding a 12-25-2 record. According to MYHockey Rankings, HSE sits at 27th in the rankings for the state. They face a CIK squad that has struggled for consistency this season, bringing a 6-29-2 record and a 31st place ranking into the game.

While the win-loss records for both teams reflect a challenging regular season, the postseason offers a fresh start. HSE’s higher ranking and seeding suggests they enter as the statistical favorite, but the gap between 27th and 31st is narrow enough to expect a competitive game.

If HSE wins this game, they will move on and play either the number two ranked Bloomington, with whom they are 1-1 in the regular season, or number seven ranked Munster who they have not played this season. If HSE loses they will still have a chance to rebound for a shot at the title as it is a double elimination tournament.

The statistical edge becomes clearer for HSE when looking at the regular season matchups. HSE is 4-0 against the Knights with a win differential of 21-1. To advance HSE needs to replicate the same success they have seen against this team in the regular season.

Success in Fort Wayne will depend on HSE’s ability to maintain their composure and stay disciplined. Their regular season success provides a great competitive edge coming into the game, as the team prepares and hopes to advance to the next round of the playoffs.