Do or Die for Mariners

The Woodstock Slammers have an opportunity to win the Kent Cup on home ice tonight while Yarmouth has a chance to fight for another opportunity to take the series back home. It's game 5 and the Slammers are up 3-1 in a series that has offered fans very close games for the most part. The Slammers took game one by a score of 2-1, with game two going to Yarmouth 4-2. Games three and four in Yarmouth were especially tight with Woodstock taking both matches 1-0 and 2-1 respectively. The games have been defensive-minded to say the least.

For Woodstock, Friday represents an opportunity to win a third Kent Cup in franchise history and although Head Coach Jason Tatarnic knows Yarmouth will be prepared and playing with desperation, he doesn't feel any great need to change the current formula for his team.

"We're approaching tonight's game no differently then we have any other playoff game. We know we have to work hard and play with intelligence", he aexplains. "Yarmouth is a solid hockey team and they work hard every shift. They will be ready. As far as game plans go you have to make small adjustments all the time".

For the Mariners, Game 5 is an opportunity to stay alive and it's do or die. The Mariners have been down 3-1 before, most recently in their Bent final against Amherst. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit might appear daunting agianst a club as talented as Woodstock, but Yarmouth Head Coach Laurie Barron feels his team is still in it and have not lost their confidence. Barron sees Woodstock as shouldering the pressure.

"The boys are are upbeat", said Barron from his Woodstock hotel room on Friday morning. "We have been here before and we are 3-0 in elmination games and we are looking at the series one game at a time. We feel that we are unlucky that we are down 3-1 and we have actually outplayed Woodstock especially in 3rd period the last two games. We want one more crack at playing at home and feel that this team can do something special".

"It's funny. We're down 3-1 and all the pressure is still on them".

Game time is 7:30pm. Catch live action on Fasthockey.