As Simon Watson skated off the ice at the Independence Events Center, he said, “First practice as a playoff team – couldn’t have gone better.”
His Missouri Mavericks teammates grinned and shouted in approval.
“We’re going to the playoffs,” Jeff MacDermid said, with the reverence once usually associates with a comment made in church. “The playoffs!
“That’s so great for the guys on this team, for Scott (Hillman), our management and our fans. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like for our fans to have a playoff game here on our home ice?
“Watch out. They just might blow the roof off this place.”
Team captain Carlyle Lewis nodded in agreement.
“I can’t even imagine our fans in a playoff-game atmosphere,” Lewis said. “Now, that’s something to think about. It would be amazing.”
Mavericks vice president of communications Patrick Armstrong said playoff tickets have been flying out the door at the Events Center.
“We sold 500 the first hour they were available on Tuesday,” Armstrong said. “And every phone call we take is about tickets. This is how great our fans are – we’ve sold about 2,700 tickets and we don’t know what day or how many games we’re going to play at home.
“But everyone wants to be there.”
It’s set that the Mavericks will play the Mississippi RiverKings in a three-game play-in series to start the playoffs.
The Mavericks are hoping to finish in fourth place in the Northern Conference, which would assure the team of playing two games at the Events Center.
Heading into tonight’s regular season final against the Bossier-Shreveport MudBugs in Bossier City, La., the Mavericks trail Mississippi by one point.
If the Mavericks win tonight, they get two points and would pass the RiverKings. However, Mississippi plays its last two games at home – tonight and Saturday night – against Tulsa. If they win one game, they secure the fourth spot.
“I never thought I’d be cheering for Tulsa,” joked Mavericks coach Scott Hillman, “but go Oilers. We’d love to move up to fourth so we could play two games at home.”
Here is the possible playoff scenario:
• The Mavericks, if they stay at No. 5 in the Northern Conference, will host a playoff game against Mississippi at 7:05 p.m. Monday and then travel to Mississippi for a Wednesday game. A third game – if needed – will be played on Thursday at Mississippi.
