(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Canalta Cup Final

Mustangs faulter late, drop game one to North Stars

Apr 13, 2019 | 11:23 AM

Game one of the Canalta Cup Finals in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is in the books.

The Battlefords North Stars defeated the Melfort Mustangs 6-2 on Friday, April 12 at the North Battleford Civic Centre.

In the first period, it was back and forth action as both teams had some jump to open the hockey game. Neither team was able to score, but the Mustangs seemed to have a little bit of the edge. Melfort led the shot clock 12-8. Head Coach Trevor Blevins said he liked the start from his team.

“First period, we were skating and physical,” Blevins said. “And we know we can play that way and just for some reason got softened up in the second and I think that really cost us the game.”

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The North Stars jumped on the Mustangs in the second period, they seemed to have more chances in the period, and they capitalized on them. Noah Form got a rebound at a sharp angle at the 11:44 mark of the period, and got a shot by Noah Giesbrecht to make it 1-0. That was followed by a scrum in front as Ryan Gil capitalized and made it 2-0 just a few minutes later. The Mustangs couldn’t seem to get much going offensively and were outshot 14-7 in the frame.

In the third period, the Mustangs seemed to have a second life as they put the pressure back on the Stars. Jake Hobson found a soft spot in the defence and got a great wrist shot by Joel Grzybowski, ending his shutout streak at over 240 minutes. That goal, three minutes in gave the Mustangs some energy, but they couldn’t seem to capitalize on the chances, keeping things at 2-1 until Owen Lamb scored to restore the two goal lead. Tyson Meyers brought it back to within one with about seven minutes to play, but that’s as close as the Mustangs would get. Macgregor Sinclair, Quintin Loon-Stewardson, and Dayton Heino all scored in the final two minutes to put the dagger in Melfort in the 6-2 win for Battlefords as they take at 1-0 series lead. Blevins said they’ve got a chance in game two.

“We got to respond,” he said. “We got to get tomorrow, we know what we have to do, it’s no secret, but the guys got to go out and execute and put in a hard effort. That’s what it takes at this time of year.”

Game two of the series goes back in North Battleford on Saturday, April 13. The game can be hear on CK750 with Bourgault Industries SJHL Playoff Hockey getting underway at 7:15 p.m.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6