AMHERST – The Amherst Regional High School Vikings hope to make some hockey history tonight.
The Vikings hope to win the school’s first regional championship banner in at least a quarter century when they host the Northumberland Nighthawks in the third and deciding game of their Northumberland regional championship series.
Game time is 8:15 p.m.
A win will propel the Vikings to the NSSAF Division 2 championship tournament at Northumberland.
The game comes after a tough 2-1 loss in Trenton last Saturday. The loss came after a 1-0 series-opening win the previous night in Amherst.
“It will be important for the boys to keep their focus and not get distracted,” coach Wayne MacKenzie said Thursday. “In the first game we got lots of chances but couldn’t hit the net. In the second game we got distracted and took some penalties.”
MacKenzie said a lot of the Vikings’ success this season has come from hard work and disciplined play. For the club to win tonight, he said it’s going to have to work hard on the forecheck, force turnovers and get lots of pucks to the net.
“We have to get traffic in front of their goal and get lots of pucks on net,” he said.
The game will take on added significance for eight members of the team, who could be playing their final meaningful game at the Amherst Stadium.
If the Vikings lose, they will play a one-game qualifier against the Eastern Shore Mariners with the winner advancing to provincials.
