Nursing a one game lead with four games to go, the Tacoma Stars had to match Ontario’s record for the remainder of the season. After the Stars lost their home finale and Ontario dispatched both Turlock and El Paso, the Stars would need to win at least 2 of their remaining three and hope that neither San Diego nor Monterrey (Ontario’s final two opponents) felt like resting up for the playoffs.
The Stars did their part of the bargain, defeating both Dallas and Turlock handily and putting up a good fight against Monterrey. After their final 14-4 victory over Turlock, the Stars had to wait two days for their fate to be determined.