SWHL This Week; Playoff Week 4

Sask West This Week 

League Playoffs are down to the final four and some Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) teams are still alive in provincials. 

League 

The Wilkie Outlaws opened their playoffs Tuesday night in game 1 of the best of 5 against the Macklin Mohawks, and in a thriller, it was Wilkie coming away with the 3-2 overtime victory and taking a 1-0 series lead. 

Carson Pickett would open the scoring at the 7:26 mark of the 1st, but Ryan Keller would tie the game up at 1 on the power play just two minutes later. The game would stay a draw all the way into the 3rd when Spencer Bast fired a shot past Outlaws goaltender Jared Herle on the power play to give Macklin the 2-1 lead. Keller threw the team on his back again, scoring just a minute later to knot the contest back up. In the extra frame, Kolton Baptiste threw a wrist shot on net, squeaking through goaltender Trevor Martin to send the hometown fans away happy. 

Martin stopped 41 of 44 shots in the overtime loss, while Herle stopped 34 of 36 shots in the win. 

On Thursday night, the Hafford Hawks travelled to Kindersley to play game 1 of the best of 5 semi-finals against the Sr Klippers, and it was the visitors who came away with the 5-2 win and the 1-0 series lead. 

Kyle Ireland would open the scoring at the 5:56 mark of the 1st on the power, but Shayne Neigum would reply with a power play goal of his own to knot the game up at 1 after 20 minutes. Jonny Calkins would give the Sr Klippers the 2-1 lead super early in the middle frame which lead until the midpoint of the period. In a 3-minute span, Ireland, Kyle Litchenwald and Ryan Schaefer (on the power play) would all score to give the Hawks the big 4-2 lead after 2 periods. Litchenwald would add his second of the night early in the 3rd. The fireworks started going off after that, leading up fisticuffs in the middle of the period. 3 players were tossed, including Schaefer who was assessed a Match penalty for headbutting. 

Joel Gryzbowski stopped 38 of 40 shots in the win, while Cody Beswitherick took the loss stopping 29 of 34 shots. 

On Saturday night, the Kindersley Sr Klippers travelled north to visit the Hafford Hawks in game 2 of the best of 5 semi-finals. The Klippers left with a 4-3 OT win, tying the series up at 1. 

Quinton Cubbon opened the scoring early in the 1st and added his second of the night just five minutes later, giving the Hawks the 2-0 lead. Jonny Calkins, on the power play, did cut the deficit in half before the buzzer went. The middle frame only had Jeremy Boyer extending the lead to 3-1, but it was obvious that Hafford held control on the game. Despite the Hawks controlling the game, Calkins would score on a knuckleball to cut the lead down to 3-2. Damon McKenzie would score with 5:28 left to unbelievably tie the game up at 3 and send it into overtime. In the extra 10-minute frame, McKenzie would convert on a wraparound to complete the unlikely comeback. 

Logan Drackett, in his first action since January 20th, took the win, stopping 27 of 30 shots. Joel Gryzbowski took the OTL, stopping 28 of 32 shots. 

On Sunday night, the Macklin Mohawks welcomed the Wilkie Outlaws into town for game 2 of their best of 5 semi-final and it was the Outlaws winning 4-1 and taking a 2-0 series lead. 

Carson Pickett got the Mohawks on the board first on the power play. The 1-0 lead held all the way into the middle of the 2nd period when Brett Boehm potted his own on the power. Boehm would add his second of the evening just 3 minutes later. That 2-1 Outlaws lead held after 40 minutes, and well into the 3rd until Rory Gregoire cleaned up the trash in front of the net and extended the lead. Rick Cey would put a bow on the win with an empty net goal 

Jared Herle stopped 35 of 36 shots in the win, while Trevor Martin stopped 39 of 42 shots in the loss. 

Provincials

In the ‘A’ Division, the Kindersley Sr Klippers hosted the Kenaston Blizzards of the Sask Valley Hockey League in game 1 of the best of 3 north semi-final on Sunday night. The Klippers came away with a 6-4 victory and lead the series 1-0. Kindersley looks to close it out on Saturday March 2nd. 

In the ‘C’ Division, the Wilkie Outlaws finished off their SWHL rival Biggar Nationals in game 2 of the semi-final on Saturday night with a big 7-2 win. The Outlaws will now play the Dinsmore Dynamos of the Sask Valley Hockey League in the North Final. 

In the ‘D’ Division, the Macklin Mohawks hosted the Eston Ramblers of the Sask Valley Hockey league on Friday night, with the Mohawks coming away with the 4-1 victory. Macklin leads the best of 3 series 1-0 and looks to close it out on Friday, March 1st.