Northern Bears defenceman Tristyn Endicott skates alongside a Notre Dame attacker during a contest earlier this season on Dec. 3, 2024. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Playoff hockey

Northern Bears set for first-round battle against Notre Dame

Mar 7, 2024 | 2:00 PM

The Mann-Northway Northern Bears are shifting into playoff mode as the club gets set to kick off their postseason on Friday night.

The club is set to face the Notre Dame Hounds in the opening round, a team the Bears have met with five times over the regular season and have a 0-2-2-1 (W-L-OTW-OTL) record against.

P.A.’s head coach Steve Young said that the series will be even for the most part and explained the gameplan heading into the matchup.

“They’re a good, hard-working team and I think we compare that way with each other,” he said. “We both have to work hard to have success. They’re a team that’s very well coached – having his team ready for different situations so it’s important that we go in very focused on what we have to do. I know we have our first trip driving there so our preparation has to be key to start out first game in their building.”

The Northern Bears wrapped up the regular season last weekend in the Battlefords with a pair of contests against the Sharks. Prince Albert prevailed in their first game, winning 4-3 before the Sharks attacked in game two with an 8-1 triumph.

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The win and the loss helped the Bears end the year with a 6-18-3-3 (W-L-OTW-OTL) record, where Young shared his thoughts on the overall regular season.

“As the season went on, we grew into the type of team we wanted to be. We know we’re a team that has to be working as a group to have success and I thought down the stretch we did that a little more and were rewarded for it. That’s what we have to take into the playoffs and work hard at it.”

The first round best of three playoff series is set to begin on Friday in Wilcox for an 8:00 p.m. start. The series will then switch focus to Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre for game two on Sunday night at 7:00 and if necessary, the series will go back to the Duncan McNeill Arena for a deciding game three on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

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