The NAIT Ooks men's hockey team is playoff bound and ready to make noise.

After finishing third in the ACAC standings with a 12-12 record, the Ooks positioned themselves strongly heading into postseason play. With the top two teams earning a first-round bye, NAIT (3) will open the quarterfinal round against the sixth-seeded Concordia Thunder in a best-of-three series.

The Ooks enter the playoffs with momentum on their side. NAIT closed out the regular season with an impressive 7-3 record over their final 10 games, finding consistency at both ends of the ice during a strong second-half surge.

Head Coach Scott Fellnermayr likes where his group is at heading into the postseason. "The team feels great going into playoffs. I think we've been consistent in a lot of areas through the second half of the season. We don't give up a ton of high danger chances, and we've got guys that have started to score goals. So, we feel we can play with anyone in this league."

That confidence has been built through adversity. The Ooks battled through challenges throughout the regular season but emerged more connected and resilient as a group.

"This team is very serious about winning. We've got guys that all year have been dedicated to the team. When things weren't going well we stuck together and kept with the process. I believe we have gone through more adversity than any other team this year and it has sharpened us to be ready for a tough playoff run."

Now, it all comes down to execution.

Quarterfinal Schedule

Game 1 – Friday, 6:00 PM at NAIT
Game 2 – Saturday, 7:00 PM at Concordia
Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, 6:30 PM at NAIT

With home ice advantage to open and potentially close the series, the Ooks will look to feed off the energy of Ooks Nation as they begin their quest for an ACAC championship.