Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

The Provincial Junior Hockey League has now entered the final series for division championships across the province.

Sixteen teams in eight divisions are battling it out to see who will come out on top and continue the season by playing for the provincial Schmalz Cup.

Locally, the first-place Alliston Hornets are up against the second-place Orillia Terriers in what is turning out to be an epic battle on the ice.

The Hornets finished the regular season as the top team, taking only two losses in the regular season.

Orillia was close behind, finishing in second place in the division.

Orillia is leading the championship series 2-1, after a 4-2 win in Game Three.

The Terriers took an early lead in the best-of-seven match-up with a 3-0 shut-out in Game One on Friday, March 21.

Alliston responded by delivering a 3-2 win on Orillia's home ice on the following night to even the series.

A near-capacity crowd turned out for Game Three in Alliston, but the hometown crowd was disappointed when the Hornets failed to score in the first two periods and lost the game.

In other series across the province, the Hanover Barons are leading the Fergus Whalers 2-0 in the Pollock Division final.

The Clarington Eagles are poised to win their series over the Georgina Ice in the Orr Division. The Eagles are leading 3-0 and need to clinch Game Four to claim the title.

In the Tod Division, the Frankford Huskies and Napanee Raiders are tied 1-1.

The Grimsby Peach Kings are looking for a sweep over the Dundas Blues and are currently leading that series 3-0.

In the Doherty Division, the New Hamburg Firebirds and the Wellesley Applejacks are tied 1-1 after the opening games.

The Petrolia Flyers are leading 2-0 over the Exeter Hawks in the Yeck Division Final.

In the Stobbs Division, the Essex 73s and the Lakeshore Canadiens have battled to a 1-1 tie after two games.

The Alliston and Orillia series continued with Game Four on Orillia home ice on Wednesday, March 26.

Results were not available at press time.

The series will return to Alliston on Friday, March 28, for Game Five.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.