Ank injury-hit Southern Stampede has gone down in both matches of its double-header against the West Auckland Admirals in Avondale.
The Admirals bagged a 6-3 win on Saturday and backed that up with a 5-3 victory on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The results had little bearing for the Queenstown-based Stampede, which had already booked a home finals series at the Queenstown Ice Arena later this month.
However, the Admirals were desperate for points in their quest to join the Stampede in the post-season matches and pulled off two upsets to keep their season alive.
The side is now six points back from the second-placed Canterbury Red Devils, who have finished their regular-season campaign, and can draw level with the Christchurch-based side if they win both of their matches against the struggling Dunedin Thunder in Dunedin this weekend.
The Thunder will look to finish its season on a high in front of its home crowd but might struggle against an Admirals side with plenty to play for.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils made light work of their matches against the Botany Swarm in Christchurch, winning 13-4 and 6-1.
