The Weyburn Thrashers used a flair for the dramatic to come away with the Sask Lacrosse provincial U15 gold medal on Sunday afternoon at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
And it was the hometown Moose Jaw Mustangs who had to bear the brunt of their late-game heroics.
The Thrashers scored the tying goal with 8.3 seconds remaining in regulation and then netted the game-winner with 10 seconds to play in overtime to take a 6-5 victory over the Mustangs in the gold medal final.
The news was better for the U13 Mustangs in the bronze medal game, as they rolled to 12-5 win over the Regina Warriors.
Weyburn 6, U15 Mustangs 5 (OT)
That things were as close as they were late in the game was the product of an impressive comeback by the Mustangs.
Weyburn took a 3-1 lead out of the first period and extended their edge to 4-1 through two periods before Moose Jaw began their rally.
Kashton Smith scored twice for the Mustangs in the final 8:04 of the second to get his team within one before Chase Folk tied things with 6:44 to play in regulation. Ryker Kretsch then gave Moose Jaw their first lead of the game with three minutes to play, and it looked as if the Mustangs might have gold in their future.
Weyburn’s Hudson Maloney tied the game with eight seconds to play, though, and Alex Labrecque would finish things off in overtime.
Folk had the Mustangs’ first-period goal and finished the game with three points.
U13 Mustangs 12, Regina 5
Things were close through the first two periods in the U13 bronze medal game, as Moose Jaw led 3-2 after the first and 6-4 through two.
The host team was able to pour on the offence in the final period, though, going on to their comfortable victory and Moose Jaw’s third medal of the provincial championships.
Ryder Seiferling saved his best game of the tournament for last, putting up four goals and seven points to lead Moose Jaw’s offence. Jaxyn Houle had a goal and three points, while Connor Hart-Livingston and Ethan Thedroff scored a pair each.
Cruz Seaborg and Keegan Flanagan had a goal and an assist apiece, Cash Bellefeuille had their other marker. Rylan Deichert picked up four assists, while Vanden Chappel added a pair of helpers.
