MOOSE JAW -- The Regina Pat Canadians and Swift Current Legionnaires are on the verge of reaching the Sask Male AAA Hockey League championship final.
Swift Current took a 2-1 win over the Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors in Swift Current on Sunday to take a two-games-to-none lead in their best-of-five series, while the Pat Canadians defeated the Saskatoon Blazers 5-2 in Regina to lead their series two-games-to-one.
As a result, both series leaders can wrap things up when action resumes Monday and Tuesday evening.
Swift Current 2, Moose Jaw 1
After winning by the same score in overtime in Game 1, the Legionnaires didn’t need extra time to get things accomplished this time around.
Trae Peterson gave Swift Current a 1-0 lead with 3:34 remaining in the first period and Sam Kirwan would score what would stand as the game winner with 34 seconds to play in the second.
The Warriors looked to mount a third-period comeback when Ryan Gibbs scored on the power play with 7:47 left in regulation, but despite pulling goaltender Luke McKechnie for the extra attacker for the final 1:18 would be unable to find the tying goal.
Berney Weston continued to play well for Swift Current and finished with 42 saves, while McKechnie had 20 stops.
Game 3 of the series is set for Monday at 7 p.m. at the Temple Gardens Centre, with Game 4 if necessary in Swift Current on Wednesday and Game 5 back in Moose Jaw on Friday.
Regina 5, Blazers 2
The two teams found themselves in a back-and-forth affair in the first period, with Jonah Sivertson giving the Pat Canadians the lead with a power play goal at 4:26 of the first and Blake Chorney responding for Saskatoon five minutes later.
Maddox Schultz gave Regina the lead for good with their second man advantage marker 3:20 into the second period, followed by Sivertson making it a 3-1 game at the 7:54 mark of the frame.
Regina took a three goal lead at 2:20 of the third when Logan Mehl got on the scoresheet, but Tyson Medernach got one back for the Blazers on 17 seconds later, making for an interesting finish.
Saskatoon would be unable to get any closer, though, and Sivertson capped off his hat trick with a shorthanded empty netter with 55 seconds remaining in the game.
Taylor Tabashniuk stopped 26 shots to earn the win in goal, Madex Kabrud had 36 saves for the Blazers.
Game 4 of the series goes Tuesday in Saskatoon at 7:30 p.m. at the Rod Hamm Memorial, with Game 5 back in Regina on Thursday if necessary.
