Playoff Notebook: Day 2

ASTON, Penn. — The action only got more furious on the second day of the playoffs. Although some teams have already punched their ticket to the finals, the rest had to slug it out to earn a shot at championship glory. 

14U A American Division

After winning their opening contest of the playoffs on Friday, the first seed Delco Phantoms followed up with a tremendous performance against the Delmarva Raptors, winning 4-3. Also fighting their way to the finals were the fourth seed Delaware Jr. Blue Hens, who after a rough start against the Phantoms, bounced back with huge wins against Snider Hockey and the Raptors, effectively ending their seasons. The Blue Hens will now get a second shot at the Phantoms on Sunday morning, both to avenge their earlier loss and to secure the championship. However, due to this being a double elimination tournament, they’ll need to beat the Phantoms twice to become champions — no easy feat. 

12U A American Division

The Delco Phantoms lived up to their first seed billing, as they dismantled both of their opponents en route to the finals on Sunday morning. Their path of destruction included a 5-1 drubbing of the Quakers and a 9-3 romp over the third seed Exton Kings. The Kings, for their part, bounced back nicely. They started their weekend with a 3-2 upset over the Hershey Jr. Bears before their loss to the Phantoms. That set up a win-or-go-home rematch against the Bears, where the Kings were once again victorious to save their season. They’ll get another shot at the Phantoms, although due to their earlier loss, they’ll need to beat them twice to go home as winners. 

16U A American Division 

On Friday, the Delaware Jr. Blue Hens surged to the finals with a series of dominating wins over the Chester County Cougars and the Wilkes-Barre Jr. Pens. On Saturday, it was on the rest of the teams to pick up the scraps and keep their season alive. The third seed Genesis Hockey Club were quickly eliminated with losses to the Cougars and the Pens, setting up a showdown between the two one-loss teams to see who would receive another crack at the Blue Hens. After an impressive 5-2 win, the Penns punched their ticket to the finals.