The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings came into Tuesday night’s game seven against the Humboldt Broncos looking to do something neither team had done in the series – win on the road. Both teams had their backs to the wall, hoping to extend their season. While the Red Wings carried the play for most of the game, the Broncos took advantage of the power play early in the third period, and held on for a 2-0 win, taking the series 4-3.
"The boys battled," said Red Wings head coach Cody Mapes after the game. "The boys didn't have a whole bunch left and they gave everything they had left. I can walk away from this game and this series proud of everything we did here, and a little upset that it's over now, but at the end of the day, I am incredibly proud of the effort that these guys put forward."
The first period of the game saw both teams exchanging several opportunities, with the closest to the scoring getting opened being a waved-off goal by the Broncos late in the frame. With 2:57 to go in the period, Jacob Strizzi appeared to have scored for Humboldt, but the call was waved off as it was redirected in by a high stick.
Both teams would get a chance on the power play, with Humboldt’s coming after a tripping call against Dallen Oxelgren. Humboldt wouldn’t score on their chance, and Weyburn’s two opportunities, both coming as a result of tripping calls, wouldn’t result in a goal either.
In the second period, the Red Wings really turned up the pressure, outshooting Humboldt 18-8 in the period. Dazza Mitchell would make two big saves in the Weyburn net, the first coming just past the three-minute mark when he sprawled back to cover up a puck that was redirected off the skate of Strizzi in the crease. Then, with 90 seconds left, Mitchell made another save on a 3-on-1 chance for the Broncos to keep the score 0-0.
Meanwhile, the Broncos goaltender, Benjamin Motew, had to stand tall with the Red Wings hammering a lot of pucks his way. The biggest saves came when Jerome Maharaj spent close to 40 seconds stickhandling around the Broncos net, finding opportunities to feed the puck to teammates and then gathering the rebounds He even pulled defenders out from the front with a fake Michigan to free up a pass to the top of the crease for a one-timer by Lucas Jeffreys.
Humboldt would end up with a 5-on-3 power play just under five minutes into the third period as Jacob Visentini was called for tripping, and then Jerome Maharaj got a double minor for high-sticking on a missed stick lift. On the ensuing power play, Boris Kofman would get the puck past Mitchell to put the Broncos up 1-0.
Then, with Maharaj serving the last bit of his double minor, Spencer Bell would score Humboldt’s second power play goal of the game to make it 2-0 with 11:49 remaining in the period. Maddox Amaral would then finish the game off with an empty-net goal with 3:14 remaining on the clock.
The Broncos will now go on to face the Melfort Mustangs in the SJHL semifinals, while the Flin Flon Bombers will host the Battlefords North Stars. Both best-of-seven series will start on Thursday.