Mintos fall to Trojans 5-4 in double overtime; Trojans advance to the finals
The Prince Albert Mintos’ season has come to an end.
Taylor Schmidt scored a pair of goals and Evan Simpson netted the overtime winner as the Tisdale Trojans defeated the Mintos 5-4 in Tisdale on Tuesday night, winning the best-of-five SMAAAHL series 3-1. The Trojans will now face the Regina Pat Canadians in the finals.
“It was a back and forth, really tight game. Really could have gone either way. It had a little bit of everything in it. Pretty exciting game, I think, to watch,” Mintos head coach Ken Morrison said.
“It was a game of inches and we just fell a little bit short but (we’re) really proud of the team and the effort they put in and it wasn’t for lack of trying, that’s for sure.”
The Trojans got on the board early in the first after a giveaway on the P.A. blueline resulted in a breakaway for Tisdale forward Elliot Grande-Sherbert. After less than two minutes, the score was already 1-0 Tisdale.
A few minutes later the Mintos bounced back, with Alex Moar and Austin Lamotte scoring two goals 31 seconds apart to put P.A. ahead by one.
With two minutes left in the first, Schmidt scored the equalizer while shorthand to tie the game 2-2 heading into intermission.
In the second period Wyatt Arndt would restore the P.A. lead with a shot from close range but again Tisdale was quick to answer back. Only 39 seconds would elapse before the Trojans’ Schmidt beat P.A. goalie Cale Elder for his second goal of the night.
Minto Logan Barlage snapped the 3-3 tie in third period, breaking in to score his team-leading fifth postseason goal.
Just when it looked like the Mintos would be heading back to P.A. for Game 5, a goal was scored in the final minute of play to force overtime for the third time this series. In Game 1 it was Barlage with six seconds to go. In Game 2 it was Schmidt with 10 seconds on the clock. In Game 4 Tisdale’s Jordan Simoneau would receive that distinction, netting the tying goal on the power play with 31 seconds remaining.
In overtime both teams would get a chance to win it on the power play and Tisdale was awarded a penalty shot but the score remained tied 4-4.
It wasn’t until late in the second overtime period that Trojans defenceman Simpson would end the game with a screened wrist shot.
“I thought our guys worked really hard. A couple bounces go our way, it’s a different game,” Morrison said.
“We hit a crossbar in the first overtime. A half an inch lower it would have been in the net. Their tying goal, a guy batted it out of the air into the net on a rebound. So little bounces here and there in a game (that) either go your way or they don’t were the difference.”
Game Summary
Tisdale 5, Prince Albert 4 (2OT)
Trojans win best-of-five series 3-1
First Period
- Tisdale, Grande-Sherbert 1 (unassisted) 1:22
- Prince Albert, Moar 3 (Robin, Pyne) 6:21
- Prince Albert, Lamotte 3 (Zimmerman, Gray) 6:52
- Tisdale, Schmidt 3 (Berschiminsky, Kadachuk) 17:45 (sh)
Second Period
- Prince Albert, Arndt 2 (K. Schneider) 7:35
- Tisdale, Schmidt 4 (Berschiminsky) 8:14
Third Period
- Prince Albert, Barlage 5 (Matechuk) 12:27
- Tisdale, Simoneau 1 (unassisted) 19:29 (pp)
Overtime 1
No scoring
Overtime 2
- Tisdale, Simpson 2 (unassisted) 13:18
Goalies: Prince Albert — Cale Elder, 46 saves (L, 4-4-0); Tisdale — Zach Johnson, 36 saves (W, 2-0-0).
Stars of the Game: Home Star — Blake Berschiminsky, Away Star — Logan Barlage.
