MIDDLEBURY — Both the Middlebury Union High School girls’ and boys’ hockey teams will open the Division I playoffs on home ice, the Tiger girls as a No. 2 seed and the boys as a No. 6 seed.
The 15-4-1 Tiger girls have earned home ice through the D-I final, which is set for 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. at the University of Vermont.
They will open on Friday at 7 p.m. by hosting No. 7 Colchester/Burlington (8-11-1) at 7 p.m. The Tigers own 4-0 and 7-4 wins over the SeaLakers this winter.
Next up would be a home semifinal on Monday, most likely against No. 3 Rutland (14-4-2). The Tigers earned a road tie and a 2-1 home win over the Raiders this winter.
No. 1 four-time defending champion Essex (15-3-2) and No. 4 BFA-St. Albans (13-7, but winners of seven of the last eight) are the other contenders. The Tigers split with Essex and swept BFA. They defeated both those teams by 3-1 scores last week, Essex at home and BFA on the road.
The 11-7-2 Tiger boys hosted No. 11 Woodstock (4-15-1) on Wednesday. MUHS prevailed, 5-2.
Since they won, the Tigers will travel to meet No. 3 Champlain Valley (11-6-3) on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. in Cairns Arena. CVU won at MUHS this winter, 2-1.
The time for the semifinal round is TBA, and the final is set for UVM at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.
Spaulding (16-2-2) and St. Albans (15-2-3) are the top seeds on the boys’ side.