Mustangs and Ice Wolves earn splits in playoff openers

Herald file photo

The Sherwood Division champion Melfort Mustangs and La Ronge Ice Wolves each earned splits in the opening games of the SJHL Quarter-final playoff series.

The Mustangs split on home ice with the Yorkton Terriers and the Ice Wolves split in Humboldt against the Broncos.

Melfort did not learn they faced the Terriers until Notre Dame Hounds defeated the Battlefords North Stars 4-3 on Monday, March 14 to give the Mustangs the third seed.

The Mustangs lost Game 2 by a score of 4-3 in double overtime to the Terriers at the Northern Lights Palace on Saturday, March 19.

Kishaun Gervais scored the winner for Yorkton 5:54 into the second overtime.

The Terriers led 3-2 after the first period and the game was tied 3-3 after the second period.

Marco Lopez had a pair of goals for Melfort including the game tying goal in the second period. Boston Maxwell had the other regulation time goal for the Mustangs.

Cade Kennedy, Zach McIntyre and Karsten Kruska responded for the Terriers in regulation time.

Joel Favreau made 54 saves for Melfort; Kale DePape had 45 saves for Yorkton.

The Mustangs opened the series with a 4-1 win over Yorkton in Melfort on Friday, March 18.

Melfort led 2-0 after the first period and 4-1 after the second period.

Clarke Huxley had a pair of goals for the Mustangs while Zac Somers and Thomas Moore added the other Melfort goals.

Tanner Sklaruk had the lone goal for Yorkton.

Favreau made 27 saves for Melfort; DePape also had 27 saves for Yorkton.

Game 3 and Game 4 were in Yorkton on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23, results were not available.

The Ice Wolves evened up their series with the Broncos with a 2-0 win in Humboldt on Saturday, March 19.

La Ronge’s Xavier Cannon stopped all 28 shots he faced to record the shutout.

The game was scoreless after one period and La Ronge led 2-0 after the second period.

Nate Looft and Ethan Strik scored for the Ice Wolves.

The Broncos’ Rayce Ramsey made 24 saves.

Humboldt opened the series with a 6-4 win over La Ronge in Humboldt on Friday, March 18.

The Broncos led 3-1 after the first period and the Ice Wolves led 4-3 after the second period.

Holden Knights had a pair of goals for La Ronge while Mkyllan Couture and Brandon Della Paoelera added the other Ice Wolves’ goals.

Rhett Gibson had a a pair of goals for Humbolt while Braiden Koran, Alex Morozoff, Alec Saretsky and Nicksha Eric added the other Broncos goals.

Game 3 and Game 4 were in La Ronge on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23, results were not available.

In the other series the Notre Dame Hounds and Estevan Bruins are tied 1-1 and the Battlefords North Stars lead the Flin Flon Bombers 2-0. Those series also return to the ice on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23.

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