The best-of-seven quarterfinal series between the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings and the Battlefords North Stars is even at a game apiece. The North Stars scored three goals in the first period, and held on for a 5-2 victory at Crescent Point Place to take the second game of the series Saturday night.
"Battlefords came out quick on us tonight, and got an early lead on us, and just some small details tonight that beat us," said Red Wings assistant coach Casey O'Brien after the game.
The first goal of the game came with 9:36 remaining in the first period as Coltn Getzlaff beat Angelo Zol. Then, Seth Dragan scored with 6:10 remaining to put the visitors up 2-0.
With 1:57 left on the clock in the first period, the lead opened up to 3-0 when Getzlaff netted his second of the game.
Weyburn would respond in the second period, and didn't take long to do it. Jerome Maharaj, the leading scorer in the regular season, would put the puck into the net just 57 seconds into the middle frame to make it 3-1. Jaxson Ruthven and Blake Betson had the assists on the goal.
The three-goal lead would be restored, however, when Carter Geysen scored for the North Stars with 5:30 off the clock in the second. From there, neither team would be able to get another goal for the rest of the period, despite the best efforts in both directions.
The third period started with the Red Wings again scoring the first goal. Josh Karman wired a shot over the shoulder of Justen Maric from the edge of the left face-off circle to make it 4-2. Josh Sale had the assist on the goal.
The Red Wings pulled Zol in favour of an extra attacker late in the game, and while they were able to generate some pressure, Gavin Granger cleared the puck from the zone, and ended up finding the empty net to make it 5-2 with 1:47 left to play.
The series will now shift to North Battleford for games 3 and 4, as the home-ice advantage shifts to favour the North Stars.
"Go up there with the mindset of trying to get a split up there, and get back home ice in this seies, and set us up for game five at home, and take advantage of it," O'Brien said of the momentum shift.
You can catch both games on Great Plains Ford Red Wing Radio Country 106.7. Game 3 is Tuesday night, and game 4 is Wednesday night. Both nights, the pre-game show starts at 7:15 p.m., and Dylan Fiessel will have the call with puck drop at 7:30 p.m.