Waldorf earns regional tournament bid

By Matt Oliver

FOREST CITY – The Waldorf College hockey team has qualified for the postseason for the third consecutive season.
With a No. 8 ranking in the final American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II Central Region poll, the Warriors (20-14) have received a bid to play in the ACHA Division II Central Region Tournament.
“A postseason berth was one of our goals coming into the season, so it is good to know that we will have the opportunity for a third straight season,” Waldorf coach Brett Shelanski said.
The Warriors open the regional tournament on Saturday, Feb. 27 against No. 5 Lindenwood University (15-13-2) at Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The puck drops at 11 a.m. at West Meadows Ice Arena.
Lindenwood swept Waldorf during the regular-season series, winning by scores 6-2 and 3-1 on Feb. 6-7 at Albert Lea, Minnesota.
In five seasons as a program, the Warriors have now reached the regional tournament in three of their four years of postseason eligibility. Waldorf has played a challenging schedule as of late, facing three ranked opponents in the final two months of the regular season and last weekend’s Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL) Tournament.
The No. 8 ranking is also an all-time high for the Warriors, who expect another battle with the Lions in the ACHA Division II Regional Tournament.
“We achieved the highest ranking in team history, so it’s nice to get that recognition as well,” Shelanski said. “The guys are hungry for the chance to go there and play our best hockey and see how far we can go.”