Friday 24 November 2017

Shmyrific – Blades pull out improbable 6-5 comeback win over Wheat Kings

The Blades celebrate Braylon Shmyr’s winning goal.
    Saskatoon Blades head coach Dean Brockman was still processing a surprising turn of events for his hockey club moments after they happened.
    On Friday night at the SaskTel Centre, the host Blades looked dead and buried on a couple of occasions against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. After the Wheat Kings took a 4-1 lead into the second intermission, it seemed they would roll on to a sixth straight victory.
    The Blades proceeded to net a pair of power-play goals to pull to within 4-3 before the first six minutes of the third period had expired. The host side’s momentum run appeared to have expired when Wheat Kings overage left-winger Evan Weinger scored his hat trick goal on a power play with 6:06 remaining in the frame to give Brandon a 5-3 lead.
Braylon Shmyr had a hat trick and an assist for the Blades.
    Then, the unthinkable happened. The Blades scored three straight goals in the final 1:56 of the third period to pull out a 6-5 victory.
    With netminder Nolan Maier pulled for an extra attacker, Blades Czech import defenceman Libor Hajek wired home a mid-range shot to cut the Wheat Kings lead to 5-4. Just 53 seconds later, Blades overage left-winger Braylon Shmyr scored on an individual rush to pull the Blades even with the Wheat Kings at 5-5. The equalizer was Shmyr’s second goal of the game and of the period.
    Shmyr wasn’t done there. With 18.5 seconds to play, he came hard with speed at the Brandon net on another individual rush and lifted home his hat trick goal and the winning tally past Wheat Kings netminder Logan Thompson to put the Blades up 6-5 and send the 3,886 spectators at the SaskTel Centre into bedlam.
Libor Hajek had a key goal in the Blades comeback victory.
    “Personally myself and I know our staff I want us to be even-keel,” said Brockman. “There is still time left on the clock.
    “You just have to make sure that you are ready for it. It will feel good after I sit down and think about it, but it is a good feeling.”
    Shymr had points on four of the five Blades goals in the third. With the Blades down 4-1 entering the frame, he picked up an assist on a power-play goal by overage star centre Cameron Hebig at the 5:05 mark to make the score 4-2 in Brandon’s favour. Hebig’s tally was his 20th goal of the season.
    Just 26 seconds later, Shmyr potted his first of the night to pull the Blades to within 4-3. That set the stage for the dramatics in the final 6:06 of the third.
    “That felt amazing knowing that we’re struggling to get “Ws” and knowing that we close in at the end,” said Shmyr. “It gave me goosebumps knowing that we got that “W.””
Evan Weinger (#25) celebrates his hat trick goal for the Wheat Kings.
    The Calgary, Alta., product thought the Wheat Kings looked rattled after he scored the equalizer to tie things up at 5-5. Shmyr said there was a sense that the next shot the Blades threw on net would go in before he ultimate netted the winning goal.
    “All the momentum was on our side,” said Shmyr. “We took full advantage of it. We didn’t quit.”
    The Wheat Kings built a 4-1 lead over the first two frames on the strength of Weinger’s first two tallies of the night and singles coming from the sticks of Connor Gutenberg and Ty Lewis. Weinger had a helper on Gutenberg’s goal to record four points on the night.
    Brad Goethals had the lone reply for the Blades over the first 40 minutes of the game before the frantic comeback ensued.
Wheat Kings goalie Logan Thompson makes a stop under duress.
    Overage netminder Logan Thompson turned away 37 shots to take the loss in goal for the Wheat Kings (14-7-0-1).
    Nolan Maier, who is a 16-year-old rookie, made 26 stops to earn his first career WHL regular season win backstopping the Blades (9-12-2-1). The Yorkton, Sask., product was given the hardhat after the game as the Blades hardest working player.
    “It feels great,” said Maier. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Shmyrsy (Shmyr).
    “He really kept us in it with the help of Libor (Hajek). It is great to get my first win, and I am excited to get more.”
    The Blades have come off a wild three-game stretch, where they collected four points in the standings against powerhouse clubs. On Tuesday in Moose Jaw, the Blades trailed the host Warriors 6-2 in the third period but rallied to send the contest to overtime locked in a 6-6 tie. The Warriors scored in the extra session to pull out a 7-6 win.
Blades goalie Logan Maier picked up his first career WHL victory.
    On Wednesday in Swift Current, the Blades held a 4-1 lead heading into the third period against the host Broncos. The Broncos rallied with three goals in the third to send the game into overtime and claimed a 5-4 victory after a tiebreaking shootout.
    Brockman was pleased his side could pull out a comeback victory on Friday against the Wheat Kings.
    “It has been a crazy week actually,” said Brockman. “I’m proud of our guys, because they showed a lot of resiliency.
    “You need these examples that you can have that fight and will to come back and win games like this.”
    The Blades now head off on a five game road trip through the WHL’s U.S. Division. The trip begins this coming Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans.
The Blades pour on to the ice to celebrate their comeback win.
    Saskatoon’s next home game is Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against the Kamloops Blazers.
    The Wheat Kings travel to Swift Current on Saturday to face the Broncos.
    Shmyr is looking forward to a final regular season jaunt with his Blades teammates through the United States after the high of Friday’s win.
    “It is definitely a boost of confidence going into the States,” said Shmyr. “They are a tough division down there.
    “I am just going to take full advantage of it. It is a couple of weeks long, but it is going to feel like two days. I am just going to make the most of it and have a good road trip.”

Huskies get Bears star Ball to commit, fall to Mount Royal

Bears star Kate Ball is the Huskies newest recruit.
    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team picked on a prized recruit from the local area.
    On Thursday, the Huskies announced Saskatoon product Kate Ball, who plays for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Prince Albert Northern Bears, has committed to joining the U of S women’s hockey team for the start of the 2019-20 campaign. The skilled 16-year-old centre, who stands 5-foot-5, put up 15 goals and 15 assists in 28 regular season games with the Bears, who posted 22-6 record last season.
    Ball added three goals and two assists in helping the Bears win nine straight post-season games to claim the squad’s second SFMAAAHL title in team history.
    So far this season in her sophomore SFMAAAHL campaign, Ball has six goals and nine assists helping pace the Bear to a 10-3 start. Ball is the niece of Sheldon Ball, who played quarterback first with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League and then five seasons with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies football team from 1998 to 2002. Sheldon had a length run as the Hilltops offensive coordinator once his playing days concluded.
    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies lost their third in a row falling 2-0 to the visiting Mount Royal University Cougars.
    Rookie forward Andrea Sanderson scored her first career U Sports regular season goal late in the second period to give the Cougars a 1-0 edge. Sophomore forward Anna Purschke scored into an empty net inside of the final minute of the third to round out the game’s scoring.
    Rookie Emily Severson turned away 29 shots to earn her first career U Sports regular season shutout to pick up the win in goal for the Cougars (4-9).
    Jasey Book turned away 22 of 23 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies (7-5-1). U of S failed to score on three power-play opportunities.
    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Rutherford.

Forsberg powers Dogs past Cougars

Alex Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Huskies.
    First-year winger Alex Forsberg came through in the clutch for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team on Friday night.
    With the Huskies locked a 1-1 tie early in the third period against the host Mount Royal University Cougars at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary, Forsberg helped set up a goal from fifth-year forward John Lawrence to put the Huskies up 2-1. Forberg potted his fourth of the season with 7:56 remaining in the frame to give the Huskies a 3-1 edge.
    Brad Kennedy scored for the Cougars with 3:15 to play in the third to cut the Huskies edge to 3-2.
The visitors hung on the rest of the way ensure the 3-2 score held up as the final in the U Sports clash.
    The two clubs traded goals in the second period with Jesse Lees scoring for the Cougars and captain Kendall McFaull replying for the Huskies.
    Taran Kozun turned away 26 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies (10-2-1). Cam Lanigan turned away 31 shots to take the setback in goal for the Cougars (6-6-1).
    The two teams go at it again on Saturday in Calgary.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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