Blazers, RiverKings Secure Post-Season Invitations

Following a wild Saturday night of action, the Oklahoma City Blazers and Memphis RiverKings have clinched berths in the 2002-2003 Ray Miron President’s Cup playoffs. The Blazers and RiverKings join Indianapolis, Austin, Odessa and Laredo as playoff participants, with just a single berth still up for grabs in both the Northern and Southern Conference. In the North, the Amarillo Gorilla’s control their own destinty following their 3-2 win at Tulsa Saturday night, while the New Mexico Scorpions also control their playoff hopes following their 3-2 shootout win in Indianapolis.

Oklahoma City wins their sixth division title in team history, and their second consecutive Northwest crown in the revamped Central Hockey League after their 4-1 home victory Saturday over El Paso in front of nearly 14,000 at the Ford Center. Peter Robertson assisted on three goals during the victory, which secured their division title after Amarillo had defeated Tulsa. In Memphis, the RiverKings stopped Austin 3-1 behind goals from Luch Nasato, Michal Stastny and A.J. Aitken to earn their 80th point of the season and guarantee them an opportunity to repeat as President’s Cup Champions.

Amarillo’s back-to-back wins in Bossier-Shreveport and Tulsa have put the Gorilla’s in position to earn their first ever franchise trip to the post-season. Dorian Anneck, Henry Kuster and Brian Pellerin scored for Amarillo, who can now clinch the last Northern Conference playoff berth with a single point Sunday on home ice against El Paso. The Tulsa Oilers, despite the disheartening loss, can still qualify should they win in Oklahoma City on Sunday coupled with an Amarillo loss in regulation to El Paso.

In the Southern Conference, the New Mexico Scorpions are close to emerging from the three team race for the fourth playoff slot. The Lubbock Cotton Kings lost disappointing contests to both El Paso and Fort Worth Friday and Saturday to officially be eliminated from the race. With New Mexico’s monstrous 3-2 shootout win in Indianapolis, the Scorpions can earn a playoff bid with a single point at Wichita on Sunday. Corpus Christi remains alive for the post-season despite their 7-3 loss in San Angelo Saturday, although they need help. Corpus Christi needs to both defeat visiting Bossier-Shreveport on Sunday and hope for an outright New Mexico loss.

Either New Mexico or Corpus Christi will face Southeast Division champion Austin in the first round of the Southern Conference, while Southwest Division champion Odessa will face off with Laredo. A single point by Memphis will guarantee a first round matchup with Oklahoma City, leaving either Amarillo or Tulsa to face Indianapolis. If Tulsa advances, they will definitely play Indianapolis, while an Amarillo victory coupled with an outright Memphis loss would then create playoff match-ups of Oklahoma City versus Amarillo and Indianapolis versus Memphis.

Complete first round playoff schedules will be posted online immediately following the completion of all Sunday Central Hockey League action.

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