MASON CITY, Iowa – Saturday was an impactful day in the North American Tier 3 Hockey League’s West Division standings, to say the very least. Not only did North Iowa win its eighth division championship in its 10-year history, but the Willmar WarHawks shut out the Alexandria Blizzard to lock in the third-place spot in the West Division and sew up the first-round playoff matchups for this week.
As division champions, the top-seeded Bulls will enjoy home-ice advantage for both rounds of the Fraser Cup West Division Playoffs, which will be played on back-to-back weekends as best-of-three series. North Iowa will face the Alexandria Blizzard, who received the fourth seed in the West Division playoffs, while the second-seeded Granite City Lumberjacks and third-seeded Willmar WarHawks will face off on the other side of the West Division bracket.
Game 1 will be Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Mason City Multipurpose Arena, followed by Game 2 at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria at 7:10 p.m. on Saturday night. If Game 3 is necessary, it will be played in Mason City at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. As a best-of-three series, if either team wins the first two games, that team will advance to the West Division Finals and the third game will not be played.
Tickets for Games 1 and 3 can be purchased online here – if Game 3 is not played, pre-purchased tickets may be converted to credit toward 2021-22 season tickets or North Iowa Bulls merchandise, but cash refunds will not be offered. Admission to all playoff games is included in season ticket packages for this season – however, season-ticket holders will check in with ticket-takers upon entering the arena for playoff games rather than receiving a ticket for entry.
2021-22 season tickets are also on sale for North Iowa’s inaugural season in the North American Hockey League, with a 15-percent early-bird discount set to expire on Wednesday. A 10-percent early-bird discount will remain in effect until April 30, which is also the deadline for returning season-ticket holders to pay in full or place their deposit to keep their seats from this season.
Updated news and information on the Bulls’ 10th Anniversary season are always available at www.northiowabulls.com, and by following the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
