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Vermont Lumberjacks Weekly

By Neil Ravin - Content Manager, 03/07/18, 10:00AM EST

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EHL and EHLP Teams Begin Postseason Play

BURLINGTON, VT -- Both Lumberjacks teams have clinched a spot in the playoffs, as the EHL squad will enter as a #5 seed and face-off against the #4 East Coast Wizards in the First Round.

The EHLP squad on the other hand, earned the #2 seed in the North Conference and will match-up against the #3 Walpole Express in the Second Round.

EHL

The EHL squad finished the regular season strong with two consecutive wins against Boston Division opponents. The team ended things in 2nd place in the New England Division with a record of 24-24-2 and have clinched the #5 seed in the EHL Playoffs. 

Kyle McDonald, who recently committed to Nichols College, was the Lumberjacks' leading scorer this season with 24 goals and 39 assists (63 points). Andrew Bechard was the Lumberjacks other 20-goal scorer, with 22 goals and 23 assists on the year. Andrew Barber and Patrick Manning both made strong impacts from the blue line this season, leading all Lumberjack's defensemen with 42 points each. McDonald, Bechard, Max Roth, and Jake Verreault were the only four Lumberjacks' players to dress in all 50 games this season. The recent UMASS Dartmouth commit, Chris Stangarone, led the Lumberjacks in wins, with 17 victories between the pipes to go along with a GAA of 2.59 and a pair of shutouts. 

The Lumberjacks will match-up against the #4 East Coast Wizards in the First Round of the EHL Playoffs. The Lumberjacks held a 1-3-0 record against the Wizards this season, but won the final matchup in overtime last week. The Wizards finished the season on a two-game win streak and are fresh off a weekend sweep of the New England Wolves. The best-of-three series will start today in Bedford, MA at 1:00pm. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, same place, same time. Game 3, if necessary, will be played on Friday in Bedford at 1:00pm as well. 

EHLP

The EHLP squad finished the regular season strong with three consecutive wins, and will enter the Second Round of the EHLP Playoffs as the #2 seed. Geordan Buffoline was the Lumberjacks' leading scorer this season with 29 goals and 44 assists (73 points). The MVP candidate led the entire EHLP in both the points and assists categories and was tied for third in goals. Matt Amelio also put together a solid year for the Lumberjacks, recording 60 total points to his name. Amelio is also the only Lumberjacks player to play in all 44 games this season. The Lumberjacks' captain, Zack Watkins, led all defensemen on his team in scoring with 30 points. Both Connor Carbo and Eric Roy split time between the pipes, each recording 16 wins apiece. The two goaltenders also had GAA under 3.00 and each recorded a pair of shutouts this season. 

The Lumberjacks will match-up against the #3 Walpole Express in a win or go home matchup at Leddy Park this upcoming Saturday. The Lumberjacks held a 6-1-0 record against the Express this season, winning the most recent matchup between the two teams. Saturday’s playoff game is scheduled for a 6:00pm start.