Vikings secure a playoff spot with win

CAMROSE, AB - In their final match-up of the season, the Augustana Vikings took down the Portage College Voyageurs 5-3, sweeping the season series, Tuesday night at Encana Arena.

With the win, the Vikings not only sweep the Voyageurs in their season series, outscoring them 8-6 through three games, but they also secure a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the voyageurs will need to win their final two games if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Thye currently sit in seventh place with four points and trail the Briercirest Clippers for sixth place, who have the right points with two games remaining.

Starting off the scoring, the visitors struck first, with a shot from the top of the circle off the draw which miss-handled by the Viking's netminder and dribbles in to make it 1-0. Ten minutes later, a sharp-angled shot in the visitor's end found its way into the back of the net to even the score.

All even midway through the second, the visitors found themselves with the best chance of the game, on a breakaway and taking a slash to the arm a penalty shot was awarded, but the Viking's netminder stood tall easily handling the wrister and shifting the momentum to the home side. the Vikings would add a goal minutes later to give them their first lead of the game before adding two more to give them a 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.

The Voyagers would add two goals in the third, but it would be too little too late, with the Vikings adding another before the final buzzer and claiming the win, 5-3.

Looking ahead, both teams will wrap up their regular season this weekend. The Vikings will take on the RDP Kings for the first time this season in a home-and-home series, playing at Encana Arena on Friday night at 7:30 pm. Meanwhile, Portage will travel to Calgary to take on the SAIT Trojans in a two-game series on the road.