WEYBURN – The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings had a rough start to their best-of-seven quarter-final series versus the Humboldt Broncos, as Humboldt won both first games, but in bringing the series home, Weyburn won on Tuesday night by a score of 5-3.
The Broncos won by scores of 6-1 on Friday and 7-4 on Saturday, with the fourth game at Crescent Point Place on March 27, past presstime.
On home ice on Tuesday, Weyburn got on the scoreboard first on a goal by Braigh LeGrandeur on an assist by Jaxson Ruthven.
Humboldt tied the game with a power play goal, then Lucas Schmid scored two minutes into the second period, assisted by Carter Briltz.
Humboldt again tied on the power play, before Blake Betson scored unassisted while short-handed.
The Broncos tied the game at 3-3 in the third period, but Ruthven scored the winning goal, on an assist by Jacob Visentini, and Nick Kovacs clinched the win for Weyburn with an empty-net goal with 34 seconds left on the clock.
Dazza Mitchell was in goal for Weyburn, make 34 saves on 37 shots on net.
In Saturday night’s game, Weyburn’s Rookie of the Year, Liam Fitzgerald started off the scoring in the first period, assisted by Tyler Teasdale and Drew Molde.
Humboldt scored twice that period, and added another early in the second before Weyburn’s Matthew Hodson scored, assisted by Max Monette and Jerome Maharaj.
The Broncos scored twice more in the second, and the score was 5-2 at the end of two periods.
Humboldt made it 6-2 in the third, then Fitzgerald got his second on the night, assisted by Monette and Hodson, and then Hodson scored his second of the game, assisted by Maharaj and Monette.
Goalie Dazza Mitchell was pulled for the extra attacker, but Humboldt scored an empty netter to cinch the win at 7-4.
Angelo Zol started the night in goal, and was pulled after 24:51 in net, and he made 10 saves on 14 shots. Mitchell went in, and made 15 saves on 17 shots.
In Friday night’s game, Maharaj scored unassisted in the second period for Weyburn’s lone goal.
Mitchell was in net for the full 60 minutes, making 36 saves on 42 shots.
Humboldt had attendance of 1,032 on Friday night, and 1,193 on Saturday night.
Game 5 will be played back in Humboldt on Friday, March 29; if needed, Game 6 will be held in Weyburn on Sunday, March 31, and if a seventh game is required, it will be back in Humboldt on Tuesday, April 2.
