It wasn't the first half of the year the Nipissing Lakers men's hockey team wanted, but the plan is – New Year, new results.

The Lakers enter the second half of the year looking in on the playoff picture, but they're only five points out of the final spot as they look to close the gap.

Their push begins this weekend, as they host the Laurier Golden Hawks and Waterloo Warriors, two teams from the West Division, but teams the Lakers need to beat and earn points against.

Laurier is fifth in the West Division with 19 points, thanks to a 8-7-3 record, while Waterloo is in the same spot as Nipissing, one spot out of the post-season.

???????Nipissing enters 2017 having won just a single game of their past five matchups, a win in London over Windsor.

???????Laurier visits North Bay with just two wins in their past five games, but their did close out 2016 with a win over Brock in early December, so they'll look to continue their strong play and being climbing the West standings.

Despite just the one win in their past five, the Lakers have a 3-4-0 record in their final seven games of 2016.

Saturday's matchup against Waterloo is a big game for Nipissing, as they face a team in a similar position and while it won't be easy, earning points are a must.

Waterloo won two of their final three games of 2016, but went 3-5-1 down the stretch.

With tough games against UOIT, Carleton, McGill and UQTR all coming up in the second half of the season, points will be at a premium for the Lakers and it begins this weekend.

Puck drop is set for 7:15pm both Friday and Saturday night at Memorial Gardens.