SWHL - We’re getting to the end of hockey for the Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) and Hockey Sask provincials. It is always a good sign when the water is running when you are playing hockey.
League
The Edam 3 Stars completed their sweep of the one-seed Hafford Hawks with a game three 6-0 win at the Access Communications Centre (formerly the Civic Centre) in North Battleford. This is the first ever SWHL finals appearance for the 3 Stars.
It took until the 14:32 mark of the second period before a goal was scored, with Joel Blaquiere firing a shorthanded marker past Joel Gryzbowski. Cody Danberg, Josh LaClare and Jared Blaquiere added goals for a 4-0 Edam lead after 40 minutes. Brent Weber and LaClare would tack on goals in the third to secure the dominant victory.
Taryn Kotchorek stopped all 29 shots for the shutout victory, while Gryzbowski stopped 44 of 50 shots in the loss.
Fun Fact: This was the first ever SWHL game played at the ACC, with the two goaltenders being teammates for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s (SJHL) Battlefords North Stars in their Canalta Cup (now known as the Canterra Seeds Cup) winning 2016-17 season.
The Kindersley Sr Klippers staved off elimination in game three of their semifinal series against the Wilkie Outlaws with a 4-2 victory.
No scoring was reported in the opening frame. At the 16:38 mark of the second, Jonny Calkins opened the scoring, with two more quick markers from Brody Ryberg and Jaxon Georget. Brock Harrison would cut the lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes. Ryan Keller would claw the Outlaws back to within one, but with the net empty and on the penalty kill, Georget would seal the victory.
Logan Drackett stopped 41 of 43 shots in the win, while Jared Herle stopped 34 of 37 shots in the loss.
In game four of the series, the Outlaws headed to the West Central Events Centre in Kindersley to try and close it out again against the Klippers. In a wild contest, the Outlaws won 7-5 and won the series 2-1.
In the first period, Derek Keller opened the scoring four minutes in. Ryan Keller and Rory Gregoire each scored within 30 seconds of each other to extend the Outlaws lead to 3-0. In the middle frame, it was all Klippers as Shayne Neigum, Brody Ryberg (PPG), Markus Boguslavsky (PPG) and Jaxon Georget all scored in the first 12 minutes to take a 4-3 lead. Jonny Calkins would extend that lead to 5-3 after 40 minutes. Wilkie came roaring back in the third period, with Blake Young scoring twice in a span of four minutes to tie it up. Mike Sittler’s power play goal at the 5:05 mark would prove to be the winner. Young would pot an empty net goal for his hat-trick to tie a bow on the game and series win.
Jared Herle stopped 23 of 28 shots in the win, while Logan Drackett stopped 54 of 60 shots in the loss.
Fun Fact: All 12 goals were scored into only one net. The two-seed Outlaws will play their old North Saskatchewan River Hockey League rival, the four-seed Edam 3 Stars, in the best-of-five SWHL Finals.
Provincials
Play Whitney Houston baby! The Outlaws are off to the Senior ‘C’ Provincial finals. They travelled to Lanigan on Friday night to face the Pirates and came away with a 4-3 game two victory. Wilkie will now face the South champion Foam Lake Flyers of the Long Lake Hockey League. Wilkie has the hammer in the series.
In the Senior ‘B’ Division, the Kindersley Sr Klippers came away with a home 4-3 victory to tie the series with the Davidson Cyclones at one. In the deciding game three in Davidson, the Cyclones defeated Kindersley in overtime by a score of 4-3.
In the ‘D’ Division, the Edam 3 Stars opened up their North final against the Delisle Bruins of the Sask Valley Hockey League at the ACC in North Battleford. Edam came away with the big 9-2 win.
