Augusta RiverHawks vs. Fayetteville FireAntz
PUCK DROPS: 7:35 p.m., James Brown Arena
PROMOTION: Richmond County Schools Night. Richmond County students faculty and staff can purchase general admission tickets for $8 each by calling the front office at (706) 993-2645 ext. 108.
TICKETS: General admission tickets start at $10.
ONLINE: Live video at America One (subscription required). Live stats at PointStreak.com
IN-GAME UPDATES: Follow @AugChronSports on Twitter
LAST GAME: RiverHawks beat Fayetteville 4-1; FireAntz lost to Augusta 4-1.
STANDINGS: RiverHawks (26-8-4, 56 points) 1st place; FireAntz (12-24-4, 28 points) 9th place
After almost a month on the road, the Augusta RiverHawks return home tonight with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Eight of the nine teams in the Southern Professional Hockey League will qualify for postseason play. If Augusta beats Fayetteville in regulation tonight, the 30-point gap between the first-place RiverHawks and last-place FireAntz - with the help of Augusta's head-to-head tie breaker over Fayetteville - would be too much for Fayetteville to overcome in the final six weeks of the season (even if Fayetteville wins its remaining 15 games and Augusta loses its last 17).
Of course, the RiverHawks won't be satisfied with just making the playoffs. They wouldn't even be happy by clinching home-ice advantage in the first round. They want the league's top seed and home-ice advantage throughout the entire postseason - something they didn't have last season when they lost in the championship round.
As high as the expectations are, it seems that the team is ready to deliver. The RiverHawks just went 3-0-2 over their longest stretch of road games, extending their first-place lead to a season-high seven points over second-place Knoxville and Columbus. Beating teams like lowly Fayetteville tonight are a given. Winning key match ups - like the one Saturday night in Knoxville - are crucial.
This next stretch of games could be huge for the team that is a league-best 15-2-2 at home this season. Augusta will play five games over the next 10 days and four will be at home. RiverHawks fans who haven't seen their team play since the last home game (Jan. 14) will finally get their fill.
