The Saanich Predators and Victoria Cougars open their Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League South Division playoff championship series this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Archie Browning Sports Centre.
The second game of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Pearkes Arena.
The South top-seed Cougars swept the fourth-seed Peninsula Panthers 4-0 in the opening round of the playoffs while the second-seed Predators got past the third-seed Westshore Wolves in five games.
The Kerry Park Islanders, meanwhile, advanced into the North Division final by upsetting the top-seed Campbell River Storm 4-2. The Storm was the Andy Hebenton Trophy winner as VIJHL regular-season champion.
The Islanders now await the winner of the other North semifinal, which is tied 2-2 between the Comox Valley Glacier Kings and defending VIJHL-champion Oceanside Generals. The fifth game in that series was being played Saturday night in Parksville with the sixth game today in Comox at 4:15 p.m.
The South and North champions will meet in the league final.
