Because, that's what it's all about right?

It's about scratching and clawing through the grind of a regular season before making the finals and trying to push towards that decider.

Well, for Ex-Services' skipper Chloe Barrett, the narrative in 2020 for her girls has been less about results and more about effort.

The undermanned Premier League Hockey side has been a tower of courage so far in 2020 and has played a pair of games with just 10 players, grinding out draws on both occasions.

And even after facing so many tough assignments with so few hands on deck, Ex-Services still has a chance to play postseason hockey, but it needs to start with a win over the ladder-leading premiers Panthers.

And if a win over the best team in the competition wasn't a tall enough order, Ex-Services also needs CYMS to win against Parkes in a fixture that looks to be as close to a coin flip as you'll see.

Chloe Barrett and her girls wouldn't be facing this situation if last weekend's washed out fixtures were rescheduled but due to the cancellation of the would-be game against CYMS, Ex-Services cannot afford to lose on Saturday.

"It's disappointing because we really wanted that result against CYMS and we feel like we could have gotten the win," Barrett said.

"But, that's just how it goes and we're going to have to deal with it."

The positive news for Ex-Services ahead of the contest as that at least 11 players will be present, something they haven't always been able to bank on throughout the year.

"It's going to be good to have a full team but even without that, we've always had the spirit," she said.

"That's what the season's been about for us. It's been so much about our mentality and how we can come together as a group... it hasn't been much about the individual."

And as the adage goes... the toughest swords were forged in the hottest fires.

That's how Barrett's viewing this season and she thinks the side will be better off for it in future seasons.

"For us to push through what we've pushed through as a group this year will allow us to come back bigger and better next season," she said.

"Win, lose or draw, we feel we've had a really successful season just because of the mentality we've shown."

Ex-Services know it's going to take more than courage if they want to grab a win against Panthers as the premiers have been a model of consistency throughout the shortened winter and sits on 20 points, standing alone at the top of the table.

Bathurst St Pat's sits in second, narrowly leading Nic Milne's Confederates who have a chance to leapfrog the blue and whites with a home win over Souths on Saturday.

Ex-Services kick off at 12.30 while Confederates commence at 1.55pm. Both matches are at Orange.