So it’s Go Time. Vancouver now sits with a 1 1/2 game advantage over
Salem-Kaizer, and the Volcanoes have to beat Everett tonight to keep
themselves in contact with the Canadian-based NWL leaders.

But how many games does Vancouver need to win to ensure themselves a
place in the playoffs? And who will they face? We break down each of
the scenarios for you in this Notes From The Nat exclusive.

Salem-Kaizer and Everett play tonight, and that game will determine
what Vancouver needs to do in order to secure a playoff spot, but the
important thing to note is that the Canadians have a 1-game cushion
over the Volcanoes in head-to-head competition this season so far,
which means:

Scenario 1: Everett wins tonight.
This would be great for Vancouver, as it would mean that taking one
game off Salem-Kaizer in the final series of the year would send V-Town
to the playoffs, while Salem-Kaizer would need to sweep the series to
earn the right to attend the championship series as, in this scenario,
head-to-head results don’t matter. Unless a game gets rained out, in
which case it all gets funky.

Scenario 2: Salem-Kaizer wins tonight.
This scenario would mean Salem-Kaizer is just one game behind Vancouver
in the standings, which would mean that Vancouver would definitely need
to win twice to get to the playoffs, while only one Vancouver victory
would see the teams level in the standings at season end, but would
mean Salem-Kaizer is one game ahead in head-to-head competition, and
would see them go to the championship round.

Scenario 3: It rains tonight.
Salem-Kaizer sits 1.5 games behind Vancouver going into the last series
of the year, and one win for the Canadians in the upcoming series would
hand a playoff berth to the C’s.

Either way - Vancouver needs two wins to be sure of a play-off spot. Be sure to tune into the Volcanoes/Aquasox game on http://www.aquasox.com, and cheer the Frogs home.

So who will Vancouver see in the playoffs if they get there?

Tough to say. Spokane and Tri-City are level pegging on 34-38 (yes,
that’s right, the NWL East leaders are playing sub-.500 ball), and
Boise is only 2 games behind them. The winner of tonight’s game will
split the tie for first place, but it’ll likely go down to the final
two games before we have a clear winner.

Now, word from the C’s front office is that the championship series
will start in Vancouver on the 8th and 9th of the month, then go to the
other team’s home ground for the final three games (if the opponent is
Boise, a free travel day will be utilized on the 10th), but if Spokane
wins the NWL East, the first two games of the championship series will
be played there, because they have a scheduling conflict at their
stadium on the final days of the playoffs.

Makes sense? Good.

Note: UPDATE! Everett beat Salem-Kaizer
5-3 tonight, which puts Scenario 1 into play: Vancouver needs just one
win in the Salem-Kaizer series to earn a playoff place!