CHIEFTAINS lost their last two regular season games at the weekend. On Saturday they travelled to Peterborough to face the Phantoms and were beaten 8-2 and on Sunday they were beaten 5-0 on home ice to the Guildford Flames.

It was not great preparation for the Premier League play-offs which begin this weekend. But with Chieftains already qualified, coach Simon Howard decided to rest several key players in preparation for this weekend's important fixtures.

So the Chieftains have finally reached the most exciting part of their season.

This weekend sees play off hockey returning to the Riverside. Chieftains will face a tough and exciting series of games. The top eight sides advance to the play offs and are now divided into two groups of 4 depending on their final positions in the league.

Chieftains are in the tough Group A which also includes League champions Bracknell Bees, Cup winners Guildford Flames and last season's play-off champions, Milton Keynes Lightning. The sides meet home and away over the next three weekends and although they are the group's underdogs, Chieftains know that they stand a good chance of progressing to the semi final stage to be held at the Coventry Skydome if they can produce their best hockey.

They beat Bracknell 4-3 in their last encounter with the Bees and recently hammered Guildford 6-1 on home ice and then 7-1 away at the Flames just a week afterwards. Their home form has been very good this year, as they have won 15 of 22 of the league games they played at Riverside and they will be looking to maintain this and win all their home play off games as this will virtually be enough to get them to Coventry if they can pick up some points on the road.

Chieftains maybe underdogs in this group, but this will not worry them as having achieved their pre season aim, they have nothing to lose and progression to Coventry would be an incredible achievement after an 11th placed finish last year which saw them fail to qualify for the play offs.

The next three home games are certain to be the most exciting and intense of the season.

In such a short format any of the eight sides can come out on top and big crowds will be expected at Riverside to create games full of drama and tension that should not to be missed.



Chieftains' Play-off Dates: Saturday March 24 - Milton Keynes Lightning (A) 7pm Sunday March 25 - Guildford Flames (H) 6.30pm Saturday March 31 - Guildford Flames (A) 6.00pm Sunday April 1 - Milton Keynes Lightning (H) 6.30pm Saturday April 7 - Bracknell Bees (A) 6pm Sunday April 8 - Bracknell Bees (H) 6.30pm