Jerome Maharaj had a goal and an assist, and Ethan Dekay scored the game winner, as the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings took the first game of the Canterra Seeds Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Melfort Mustangs Saturday night.
"I think Angelo (Zol) made sure that we had a chance to continue to get better," Red Wings head coach Cody Mapes said after the game. "He did his job in the first period, and just kind of allowed us to settle in a little bit. There were definitely some nerves, and a little bit of good goaltending was the recipe we needed there to start."
Melfort would be the first ones on the board, getting the nearly 1500 in attendance on their feet just 3:37 into the game. Zayden Sadlemyer would beat Angelo Zol on a breakaway to put the home side up 1-0. The goal would be the only blemish on the night for Zol, who stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced.
The two teams would exchange chances through the rest of the period, but neither goaltender would give way. In the second period, though, Weyburn would pull even.
Maharaj would end up on a breakaway with 3:54 left to play in the frame while the Red Wings were shorthanded. He would get the puck past Kristian Coombs to even the score 1-1.
"You give that guy a breakaway, more often than not, he's going to make you pay," Mapes said of the game-tying goal. "It was a job well done by all of our penalty killers. We got an opportunity, and we took advantage of it."
Before the second period could expire, the Red Wings found themselves with a five-minute power play when Mustangs defenseman Nolan Roberts was given a major and a game misconduct for a check to the head on Weyburn's Drew Molde. Weyburn would play the last 2:39 of the second with the man advantage, and another 2:21 to start the second period, but they couldn't take advantage of the power play.
It would be a 5-on-5 goal, though, that would be the difference in the game. Just 6:25 into the third, Dekay notched his fifth goal of the postseason, assisted by Maharaj and Blake Betson, to put the Red Wings up 2-1.
The Mustangs would be limited in their chances to even the game up, with the Red Wings diligently blocking shots. In the end, Melfort was held to just five shots in the final frame, all of which were turned away by Zol as he picked up yet another road win in the post-season.
The Red Wings now lead the best-of-seven SJHL championship series 1-0, and will look to keep the momentum rolling Sunday night in Game 2.
You can catch all the action on Great Plains Ford Red Wing Radio Country 106.7. Dylan Fiessel and John Prette will have the call starting with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m.