Pictured, Freeburg-Waterloo and Columbia hockey players jockey for position during a Dec. 21 clash. (Corey Saathoff photo)

The Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association Varsity 2A playoffs are about to begin, with both Columbia and Freeburg-Waterloo well positioned for deep postseason runs.

Both teams have just one game remaining in the round robin portion of the schedule to put their regular season total to 21 games. Playoff seeds will be determined by overall season record.

Columbia sits firmly atop the MVCHA Varsity 2A standings at 17-1-2 thanks to two more recent wins. 

The Ice Eagles posted an impressive 4-1 victory on Monday over second place O’Fallon (15-4-1). Londyn Little was superb in net for the Ice Eagles, running his season record to 12-1-1 with a 1.60 goals against average.

Scoring goals in the win for Columbia were Jacob Matthews, Eli DeFosset, Cam Nowak and Hudson Miller.

On Thursday, the Ice Eagles blasted Granite City, 8-1. Sean Hofstetter continued his scoring onslaught with four goals and an assist. Miller added another goal and an assist.

Hofstetter has 31 goals and 18 assists this season; Miller has 25 goals and eight assists.

Columbia closes the regular season with a game Thursday against Collinsville. 

Freeburg-Waterloo (14-4-2) snapped a five-game winless streak with a 4-3 win over Collinsville last Tuesday night. 

Nick Mumford scored two goals and Jacob Pitt added three assists.

Mumford leads the Raging Bulldogs in scoring with 17 goals and 10 assists this season.

Goalie Trevor Smith is 12-3-2 with a 1.35 goals against average.

Freeburg-Waterloo concluded regular season play Tuesday against Granite City. The result was not known at press time.

The third place Raging Bulldogs still have a shot at the No. 2 overall seed depending on the outcome of O’Fallon’s game Thursday against Belleville.