Teams are moving one step closer to the final round of Playdowns as many brackets are entering the Semifinal stage. As the field gets narrowed down it’s hard to miss the excitement of another year of Playdowns hockey filled with offensive shootouts, defensive battles and upsets. Keep an eye on these OMHA Playdowns Teams to Watch, presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario.

Remember to share your team’s Playdowns experience by tagging #RedHats and @HometownHockey.

Novice West B – Ayr Flames

The Flames battled in close games to start off their quarterfinals and gradually found their offensive touch to close out the round. They’ve been able to keep the momentum of a three game win streak at the end of the regular season. Ayr now finds itself up against a familiar foe in Simcoe, a team that finished above them in the standings but a group that they played close all season long.

Peewee DD – Millbrook Stars

Millbrook has flipped the switch when it matters, finding a groove in Playdowns that it hopes will carry over into the semifinals. They have shown to be a strong defensive team that’s able to pull out the win in close games which is a strong trait to have. However, if the offence escapes them one night the Stars could find themselves in trouble as they don’t always leave a margin for error. These uphill battles could be the building blocks for the rest of their Playdowns run.

Bantam BB – Thorold Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have found comfort and consistency on both ends of the ice as they await their next opponent. It will be a team they haven’t faced all season in either Caledonia or Strathroy which presents Thorold with a new challenge. How they respond will determine their fate but these are the roads teams have to cross in order to win #RedHats.

Midget CC – Hanover Falcons

The ability to quickly shake off a loss and regroup and respond is critical this time of year and the Falcons have shown they can do just that. Hanover has proven throughout the season that it can quickly string a couple of wins together and are a tough team to stop once they get rolling. Opponents don’t often find the back of the net when they face the Falcons.