Bellingham Blazers qualify for 4th-straight NPHL championship series

After being forced to Game 5 in their Northern Pacific Hockey League semifinal against Eugene, the Bellingham Blazers answered with a 4-2 win on Sunday, March 20, at the Sportsplex to advance to the Cascade Cup Championship series for a fourth straight year.

Simeon Smith scored what proved to be the game winner early in the third period, and Sam Vizenor added an empty-net score. Karson DeRego had a goal and an assist for Bellingham.

The Blazers move on to face Wenatchee, a team that beat Bellingham all eight times the teams met during the regular season by a combined score of 34-9.

The Bellingham Herald

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Bellingham Blazers qualify for 4th-straight NPHL championship series."