Mid-States Club Hockey Association’s playoff begin this week

Postseason play in the Mid-States Club Hockey Association begins Tuesday (Jan. 31) with a Founders Cup game.

No. 8-seeded Parkway Central (1-17-2) meets No., 9 Fort Zumwalt South (0-18-1) at 8:30 p.m. at the Lindenwood Ice Arena.

Other first-round games begin Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Challenge Cup teams represent the large schools. Here are the seeds in order: CBC, St. Louis University High, Oakville, Westminster Christian Academy, Lindbergh, Summit, DeSmet, Lafayette, Marquette, Kirkwood, Vianney, MICDS, Eureka, Pattonville and Francis Howell North.

The defending champion is Francis Howell Central so there will be a new Challenge Cup champion this year.

The Wickenhauser Cup is for smaller schools. Here are the seeds in order: Lutheran South, Fort Zumwalt West, Francis Howell Central, Fort Zumwalt East, Seckman, Francis Howell, Whitfield, Wentzville Holt, Northwest, Parkway South, Duschesne, Wentzville Timberland, Clayton, Priory, Fort Zumwalt North and Parkway North.

Holt is the defending Wickenhauser champion and will be out to repeat and win it all again.

The Founders Cup is for the rest of the teams. Here are the seeds in order: Fox, Mehlville, Ladue, St. Mary’s, St. Charles West, Parkway West, John Burroughs, Parkway Central and Fort Zumwalt South.

Whitfield is the defending Founders Cup kingpin so a new champion will be crowned this winter.

CBC coach John Jost said he is happy to be seeded first in the Challenge Cup division.

“I always like the it,” Jost said about being the top-ranked team that last won the Challenge Cup in 2009. “It means we did what we had to do during the regular season.”

The Cadets tied Chaminade 3-3 on Jan. 13 and lost to SLUH 2-1 on Jan. 20 in their last four games of the regular season.

“We didn’t exactly end the regular season playing our best hockey but the second season now begins,” Jost said.

Despite that, Jost said it has been a good season for his Cadets.

“Yes, it has been a good year,” Jost said, “especially with as young as we are but it won’t mean a thing if we are not ready for the playoffs.”

There won’t be any major adjustments made now that the playoffs have arrived, Jost said.

“We always say don’t change much at this time of year; just do what we do as well as we can,” Jost said.

The race for the Challenge Cup is wide open, Jost said.

“I think four or five teams realistically have a chance to win it,” Jost said. “It should be interesting.”

Games set for West County teams Thursday are: Parkway South (6-112) faces Whitfield (14-7) at 6:30 p.m. at Queeny Park.

Games set for West County teams Friday are: Marquette (9-8-3) plays Summit (16-2-2) at 7:10 p.m. at the Fenton Forum. At 7:20 p.m., CBC (17-2-1) meets Francis Howell North (14-5)  at the Hardees Ice Plex. At 8 p.m., Priory (6-13-1) plays Francis Howell Central (11-9-1) at the Affton Ice Rink. At 8:45 p.m., Parkway West (5-13-3) squares off against Ladue (5-14-1) at Webster Groves Recreation Center. At 9 p.m., Lafayette (12-7-2) battles DeSmet (8-9-4) at the Hardees Ice Plex at 9 p.m., Eureka (10-8-3) plays Oakville (14-3-3)  at the Fenton Forum. At 9:15 p.m., Parkway North (-9-10-1) plays Lutheran South (14-7) at FSI Shark Tank. At 9:30 p.m., MICDS (11-8-2) meets Chaminade (11-6-4) at Queeny Park. At 9:30 p.m., Westminster (16-3-1) plays Vianney (7-13-1) at South County.

First-round games continue through Feb. 7. To see the complete schedule, visit the Mid-States’ website: www.midstateshockey.org.

The Founders Cup championship game is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Queeny Park.

The Wickenhauser Cup  championship game is set for 5:30 p.m. March 7 at the Scottrade Center.

The Challenge Cup championship game is set for 8 p.m. March 7 at the Scottrade Center.