CALGARY — The Melfort Mustangs are coming home with the silver medal from the Centennial Cup national Junior A hockey championship.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champions dropped a 7-2 decision to the Calgary Canucks in the tournament final on Sunday evening at Max Bell Centre in Calgary, finishing second at the event for the second straight season.
Melfort had put together a 2-1-1-0 record in the round robin before taking a 7-1 win over the Sudbury Cubs in the quarter-final and downing the Trenton Golden Hawks 4-3 in the semifinal.
The Mustangs have a couple of Moose Jaw and area connections: Rick Oakes is the team’s head scout and director of player personnel, while forward Bryson Aikens hails from Briercrest and played minor hockey in Moose Jaw before suiting up for three seasons at Prairie Hockey Academy.
While things were close in the early going of the gold medal game, a three-goal second period proved to be the difference in the final result.
The Mustangs had the best chance in the opening moments of the first period, but a heroic play by Wranglers defenceman Ken Sutton kept the game scoreless — a loose puck in front of the crease found a Melfort stick with a wide-open net to shoot at, but Sutton would dive across the goalmouth to keep the puck out.
A rebound off a shot by Jayden Joly dropped at the top of the crease behind Melfort goaltender Kristian Coombs, and Riley Bracko would outduel a Mustangs defender to bang the puck into the open net with 8:21 to play in the frame.
Melfort began to build pressure as the period ran down, and with 2:01 remaining they’d break through with the tying goal.
Ashton Paul snared a loose puck in the Calgary zone and found some space and time in the left face-off circle before beating Canuck goaltender Lukas Renaud with a shot short side, making it a 1-1 game through the opening 20 minutes.
Calgary’s overtime hero from the semifinal would restore the Canucks lead 6:05 into the second. Hayden Fechner picked up the puck at the blueline and broke toward the net, absorbing a couple of stick checks before putting home a shot from the high slot top shelf blocker side.
Another Calgary power play late in the period saw the Canucks make it a three-goal game. Fechner got off a hard shot from the point that dropped into the crease behind Coombs, and Nolan Dupont would be in the right spot to poke the puck in for a 4-1 edge with 1:48 remaining in the second.
The Canucks kept coming to start the third, and Joly scored Calgary’s fourth straight 1:18 into the period.
That would mark the end of the night for Coombs, who gave way to Madden Mulawka after allowing five goals on 22 shots in 41 minutes.
The teams exchanged a pair of quick goals not long after, with Jack Plandowski making it 6-1 with 5:43 gone and Melfort getting that one right back 28 seconds later when Zayden Sadlemeyer scored his first of the tournament.
A pair of late Calgary penalties saw the Mustangs have a chance to get back within striking distance, but the Canucks would hold strong before adding another goal in the game’s final minutes. Fechner scored his second of the game with 2:27 remaining in regulation.
That would cap scoring in the contest and Calgary won their first Centennial Cup since 1995.
Mulawka finished with four saves in 13 minutes of work, while Renaud stopped 25 shots in earning the win.
Comments