These days, Northampton's entry in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey league (LVSHL) is playing the waiting game, a scenario that will be worth it.

Due to the series of winter storms that have inflicted the area, the Kids were waiting to secure a date for their final regular season game. If the Kids win their final game against Liberty/Southern Lehigh and Emmaus defeats Beca/Central, the Kids will be the fourth seed in the upcoming LVSHL playoffs. If Emmaus and Beca/Central tie, the Kids would also get the bid. Should Beca/Central beat Emmaus, the Kids would be out.

Head coach Brian Ruff was optimistic his club can accept an invitation into the postseason as they will be facing a Liberty/Southern Lehigh team with one win and three overall points.

The Kids will enter the game with an overall 5-6-2 record and 12 points, one point behind Beca/Central (6-6-1, 13 points) for the fourth spot. Emmaus (8-4-1, 17 points) is firmly situated in third place behind first-place Parkland and second-place Phillipsburg.

Ruff stated the game could be played as early as Friday, as it would replace one of the junior varsity games on the league schedule. Due to the compacted schedule, finding a slot for the remaining varsity games has become a headache.

"On paper, it is a game that we should win," said Ruff, whose team has uncharacteristically struggled this season after they were perennial contenders and champions in the previous Non-Pure divisional arrangement before two divisions merged this season. "But the way we have been going, you never know.

"We need to take care of business and then get some help. Both situations should be in our favor. The league would have to schedule five or six games in about 10 days. It will be a stretch, but it can be done."

Ruff also sees the layoff as being both harmful and beneficial to his team. On a positive side, the Kids are on a three-game winning streak. Matthew Emerick is the Kids' leading scorer with 22 points (14 goals, eight assists) followed by Derrick Wruble (13-8-21) and Eric Tanczos (6-14-20).

"It can be good for us because it can make us more hungry waiting to play," said the veteran coach. "But it can be bad because we have some momentum now and we seem to have gotten everything together.

"We just have to wait and then be ready. It is a must win for us and we're playing good hockey. We have to step it up and the guys know it."