In the North Division final, the Winterhawks met up with the powerhouse Mapleton-Minto 81's, who had lost just twice all season and were coming off a sweep of the Shallow Lake Crushers. Mapleton-Minto took the first game 5–2, but the Winterhawks scored late in Game 2 to take a 3–2 victory to even the series. Game 3 saw Mapleton-Minto win by a 6–2 score in a game that featured 108 penalty minutes. Injuries began to mount for the Winterhawks, who saw key players go down throughout the series, including their starting goaltender. Game 4 saw Mapleton-Minto win 4–3 in overtime, though the Winterhawks were able to erase a two-goal deficit to force the extra frame. Mapleton-Minto took the series in five games with a 5–4 overtime win in Game 5, but again it was the Winterhawks who battled to the very end, scoring twice in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime. Injuries again played a major role, as the Winterhawks saw another goaltender go down to injury in Game 5.