Mintos drop semi-final opener 4-3 to Tisdale in double overtime
For the second-straight game the Prince Albert Mintos were playing double-overtime hockey at the Art Hauser Centre, but this time it didn’t end in their favour.
Kris Bzdel scored a pair of power play markers, including the game-winning 2OT goal, to lead the Tisdale Trojans to a 4-3 win over the Mintos on Wednesday night. The Trojans now lead the best-of-five semi-final series 1-0.
“We just had trouble finding our groove a little bit in the first and we had spurts where we were O.K. and we had some chances to score and they didn’t go in for us,” Mintos head coach Ken Morrison said.
“Every game will probably be a tough one. We’re kind of behind the 8-ball here a bit now but we just have to go into their rink and win a game there and try and even it up and go from there.”
Wyatt Arndt opened scoring late in the first period to give the Mintos a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Tisdale responded early in the second, with Davis Chorney beating P.A goalie Cale Elder to tie the score. It was a 1-1 game after two periods of play.
Tisdale jumped into the lead in the third period. First Zack Smith scored the go-ahead goal after eight minutes of play, and three minutes later Bzdel notched his first of the night to give the Trojans a 3-1 lead. Kyrell Sopotyk answered back for the Mintos 49 seconds later to make it a one-goal game.
The Trojans would hold on to their lead until the very end of regulation. Bzdel was sent to the box for hooking with 31 seconds to go in the game. The Mintos called a timeout and pulled their goalie and on the next play Logan Barlage scored on a scramble in front of the net with 5.3 seconds remaining on the clock to send the game to overtime.
Once again it would take more than one extra frame to settle it for the Mintos. The Mintos started double overtime shorthanded, as Sopotyk was called for checking from behind at the end of the previous period and received a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
On the ensuing power play Bzdel redeemed himself by netting the game winner.
Game 2 takes place on Thursday night at the Tisdale Recplex. Game time is 8 p.m.
Game Summary
Tisdale 4, Prince Albert 3 (2OT)
Tisdale leads best-of-five series 1-0
First Period
- Prince Albert, Arndt 1 (unassisted) 17:24
Second Period
- Tisdale, Chorney 1 (Marleau) 2:44
Third Period
- Tisdale, Smith 1 (Schell, Marleau) 8:12
- Tisdale, Bzdel 1 (unassisted) 11:07 (pp)
- Prince Albert, Sopotyk 3 (Moar) 11:56 (pp)
- Prince Albert, Barlage 4 (Sopotyk) 19:54
Overtime
No scoring
Double overtime
- Tisdale, Bzdel 2 (Bollefer) 1:41 (pp)
Goalies: Prince Albert – Cale Elder, 25 saves (L, 3-2-0); Tisdale – Ethan Anders, 38 saves (W, 4-2-0).
Stars of the Game: Home Star – Logan Barlage, Away Star – Kris Bzdel.
