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Playoff hockey, rugby, and baseball highlight Nanaimo weekend sports calendar

Mar 16, 2018 | 11:51 AM

NANAIMO — Buccaneers playoff hockey, the final home game for the Hornets rugby team, and preseason Pirates baseball are on the local sports calendar this weekend. 
 
The Buccaneers are up 3-2 in their VIJHL semi final series with the Saanich Braves.
 
In Game 5 on Thursday the Bucs took control early and skated away with a 7-3 win.

 

 

Nanaimo is in Saanich on Friday for Game 6. 
 
The home team has won every game in the series so far and the Buccaneers are hoping to reverse that trend and wrap up the best of seven series at the George Pearkes Arena.
 
If Game 7 is needed it would be played at the Nanaimo Ice Centre Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
 

On Saturday the Nanaimo Hornets premier division rugby team will play their final home game of the 2017-18 season.
 
The team is 3-14 in their first season up at the premier level but the squad has posted two wins to boost their total in the last few weeks.
 
There are two games Saturday at May Bennett Pioneer Park.

 

 

The premier reserves play at 12:45 p.m. and then the premier club takes on the Castaway Wanderers at 2:30 p.m.
 

With spring officially arriving next week, ball season is almost here.
 
The Mid-Island Pirates have a pair of home exhibition games this weekend.
 
On Saturday they host the Victoria Mariners at noon at the third street field, and then Sunday at noon they’ll play the Mariners again at Serauxmen Stadium.

 

 

Pirates Coach Doug Rogers says the team is still very much in evaluation mode ahead of the 2018 BCPBL season.
 
Opening day for Mid-Island is April 14 against the Royals in Parksville.
 

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77