Havoc move to ‘other home ice,’ shoot for playoff opener win against Marksmen

HUNTSVILLE – Huntsville would no doubt prefer to sweep Fayetteville Marksmen in the first round of the SPHL President’s Cup Playoffs in a series that starts Wednesday.

In reality, though, the Havoc just need to embrace Meat Loaf – “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.”

All eight teams in the league playoffs could take the same perspective from the late “Bat Out of Hell” trilogy architect when action begins in the best-of-three quarterfinals.

Huntsville, which continues to shatter league season attendance records and finished its home slate with 17 straight sellouts, won’t have the advantage of playing on Roto-Rooter Ice in Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center for the series opener against Fayetteville.

But the No. 5-seed Havoc will have the home crowd against the No. 4 Marksmen, albeit at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

The VBC was previously booked. The Ice Sports Center seats 1,000, roughly a sixth of Propst Arena capacity. But last season, Huntsville defeated the Knoxville Ice Bears in Game 1 of their first-round series that the Havoc won 2-0.

The series moves to North Carolina for Game 2 at Fayetteville’s Crown Coliseum at 7 p.m. Friday. If necessary, Game 3 will be Sunday at 3 p.m. in Fayetteville.

The Havoc were 2-4 against Fayetteville in the regular season.

The second round is also best-of-three and will feature the highest remaining seeds against the lowest remaining seeds.

President’s Cup Playoffs

• (1) Birmingham Bulls vs. (8) Evansville Thunderbolts
  Game 1 – Wednesday @ Birmingham – 7:05 p.m.
  Game 2 – Thursday @ Evansville – 7:00 p.m.
  Game 3 – Saturday @ Birmingham – 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
• (2) Peoria Rivermen vs. (7) Pensacola Ice Flyers
  Game 1 – Wednesday @ Pensacola – 7:05 p.m.
  Game 2 – Friday @ Peoria – 7:15 p.m.
  Game 3 – Saturday @ Peoria – 7:15 p.m. (if necessary)
• (3) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs. (6) Quad City Storm
  Game 1 – Tuesday @ Quad City – 6:10 p.m.
  Game 2 – Friday @ Roanoke – 7:05 p.m.
  Game 3 – Saturday @ Roanoke – 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
• (4) Fayetteville Marksmen vs. (5) Huntsville Havoc
  Game 1 – Wednesday @ Huntsville (at Ice Sports Complex) – 7:30 p.m
  Game 2 – Friday @ Fayetteville – 7 p.m.
  Game 3 – Sunday @ Fayetteville – 3 p.m. (if necessary)

(All times local)