MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- Team Saskatchewan wrapped up the WHL Cup round robin in style on Friday afternoon, taking a 5-0 victory over Manitoba at the Peavy Mart Centre in Red Deer.
The victory came on the heels of a 5-2 loss to Alberta less than 24 hours earlier and sees Saskatchewan sitting in second place in the four-team tournament with only the round robin game between B.C. and Alberta remaining.
The annual tournament features the top 2009-born (15-year-old) players in western Canada, with most either drafted or listed by WHL clubs. Each province sends an all-star team, with the event acting as the first step in the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence.
Saskatchewan 5, Manitoba 0
Friday’s contest saw a solid showing from Team Sask goaltender and Regina product Adam Muntain, as the Spokane Chiefs prospect turned aside all 24 shots he faced to earn the shutout.
Things were close in the first period, as Nipawin’s Blake Chorney (Vancouver Giants) scored the lone goal of the first period with 4:58 remaining in the frame.
Saskatchewan gave Muntain some breathing room late in the second period, as Yorkton’s Trae Peterson (Tri-City Americans) made it a two-goal lead at the 10:10 mark and Estevan’s Boston Tait (Wenatchee Wild) increased the lead to 3-0 with 4:42 to play in the frame.
Lucky Lake’s Jake Hargrave (Kelowna Rockets) and Swift Current’s Carter Moen (Swift Current Broncos) added further insurance markers in the third period.
Moen’s goal with 32 seconds remaining was Saskatchewan’ second power play goal, as they went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. Manitoba had three power play opportunities.
Peterson and Hargrave each finished the game with a goal and three points.
Uriah Moosetail (Brandon Wheat Kings) stopped 39 shots for Manitoba.
B.C. 6, Saskatchewan 3
A pair of goals in each of the second and third periods proved to be the difference as B.C. picked up the win Thursday afternoon.
Chorney scored twice for Saskatchewan in the first period, with his goals coming 51 seconds apart midway through the frame after B.C. had taken an early 2-0 lead.
Goals from Eddy Spytz (Everett Silvertips) and Jack Morgan (Kelowna Rockets) gave B.C. a 4-2 lead through two.
Martensville’s Dade Wotherspoon (Prince George Cougars) got one back for Team Sask midway through the third, but Jacob Schwartz (Victoria Royals) finished off a hat trick with a pair of goals in the final four minutes to secure the win for B.C.
Schwatz scored his first goal in the first period, with Alexander Laing (Tri-City Americans) scoring B.C.’s other goal in the opening frame.
Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders) led B.C. with an impressive six assists, while Laing and Spytz had two helpers to go with their goals.
Saskatoon’s Kayden Stroeder (Edmonton Oil Kings) had three assists for Saskatchewan.
Gull Lake’s Cade Mitchell (Moose Jaw Warriors) stopped 26 shots in the loss, Oscar Hicik (Portland Winterhawks) had 33 saves for B.C.
Saskatchewan now advances to the semifinals, with who they face to be determined by the B.C. game against Alberta later Friday. Semifinal times are 1:15 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
