Stars off to Jersey Wildcats

These games are important in that the Stars are looking to improve their positioning for post season play. All 3 Buffalo Stars Junior teams have qualified for post season play. The Stars CHA C team completed their regular season last weekend as they obtained 3 of 4 points from Pittsburgh and solidified their hold on 3^rd place in the Standings. They will open their double elimination series against the Frederick Freeze on March 12^th in Warwick, PA.  The team finishes the regular season with a record of 11-12-4 and were 16-15-5 overall.

The Stars Empire Junior B team currently sits in 5^th place in the Empire American Conference with a league record of 21-12-4. With 2 games in hand on Syracuse, the Stars look to win their final 4 regular season games and move into 4^th or 3^rd place.  Right now the standings between 3^rd and 7^th are up for grabs.  Regardless of position, the Stars will open their double elimination series in Warwick on March 5^th.  Buffalo has maintained a balanced offense all season as Veterans Josh Smith (29pts), Danny Potter (28pts), Kyle Leto (27pts) lead the way. Michael Deppeler leads the way for rookies with 25 points.  Veteran defensemen Hayden Fitzpatrick (20pts) and Larry Smith (17pts) lead the way offensively for the blue line corps.  Adam Kirk and Christopher Paulin have been solid in net all season with save percentages of .902 and .909 respectively. 

The CHA Junior B team sits in 3^rd place in the American Conference with a league record of 19-10-3.  The Stars are 6^th overall in the league but the standings are so tight, they could move to as high as 3^rd place.  The Stars CHA B team will open their playoff double elimination series in Warwick March 12^th.  Buffalo has been led offensively by Andy Sturtz (37pts), Mike Schalberg (30pts), and Cody Tiejeira, Zack Haun and Ryan Sheehan, each with 26 points.  On the defensive end, Tyler Clegg leads the way with 22 points.  PJ Bluff and Ian Shorthouse have been solid in net for the Stars.

Playoff Notes:

Playoffs for all 3 leagues will involve a double elimination series. The CHA C will send 2 teams to the Nationals; the CHA B will send 2 teams and the Empire B will send 5.  In addition, the Empire 6^th place team and CHA B’s 3^rd place team will have to participate in a “play-in” game to determine an additional spot at Nationals.  There is of course a long shot scenario where both Buffalo B teams would have to play each other to determine that additional spot.

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