SOUTH BURLINGTON — The CVU Redhawks and the Milton Yellow Jackets both advanced with VPA playdown round wins in a Northfield Savings Bank Rivalry Series doubleheader on Wednesday night inside Cairns Arena.

In the first game the Redhawks blew open a close game with three goals late in the second period and went on to beat the U-32 Raiders 7-1 in a Division One matchup.

The Redhawks took a 1-0 lead on a first period goal by Austin Igler, but that was where it stayed deep into the second period. But the ‘Hawks then scored three goals in 4 minutes and 48 seconds to blow the game open. Charles Averill started the run with a powerplay goal at the nine minute mark, Aiden Achilles added a breakaway goal at 11:19 and Igler netted his second of the night at 13:48 for a 4-0 lead after two.

Quinn Francis (on the deflection of a Nick Lyman shot), Jennings Lobel (to go with two assists), and Achilles added third period goals before U-32’s Malone Bruce broke up CVU goaltender Reed Dousevicz’s shutout bid at 14:06.

Dousevicz finished with ten saves while the Raiders’ Rory Hynes made 18 stops in the loss.

Now 9-11, the Redhawks move on to meet second seed Essex Saturday in the D-1 Quarterfinals. U-32 ends their season at 5-16.

In the Rivalry Series nightcap the fifth seeded Yellow Jackets fought off a determined effort by #12 Burlington, edging the Seahorses in a D-2 playdown 2-1.

After a scoreless first period Milton took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Patrick Shannon at 8:14 of the second. That was where it stayed until late in the third when a late BHS penalty gave the Jackets a powerplay and Owen Perry’s goal at 13:55 made it 2-0. That goal would prove decisive when the ‘Horses pulled goaltender Brad Labombard and Curtis Plante tipped in a Colton Poulin point shot at 14:24 to cut the lead to one. But Burlington could not find the equalizer.

Jackson Ehler made 15 saves in net for the winning Yellow Jackets, while Labombard turned aside 31 Milton shots in a losing cause for BHS.

Now 11-8-1, Milton advances to play at Harwood on Saturday in the quarterfinals. Burlington ends their season at 5-15.