The Tisdale Trojans (white) salute the Tisdale RECplex crowd after winning their best-of-five post-season series against the Saskatoon Blazers 3-1 following a 3-1 win in game 4. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

By Aaron Schulze

Trojans progress

Trojans upset Blazers in four, move on to SMAAAHL semifinals

Mar 4, 2020 | 8:25 AM

The Tisdale Trojans were the underdogs against the Saskatoon Blazers in their Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) quarter-final series but playoff hockey can throw up some surprises.

The Trojans chances were deemed slim, not because of their seventh seed and they trailed the second-seeded Blazers by 20 points, scored 50 fewer goals, and gave up 47 more goals in the regular season, but it was how their season series unraveled before the playoffs.

The Blazers swept the Trojans and outscored them 16-2 over four games in the regular season, including 5-1, 3-0, and 3-1 wins in the month of February. A best-of-five series was expected to be difficult for Tisdale.

However, the Trojans gave themselves a chance through the first three games. They stole a double overtime game 2-1 in Saskatoon to take a series lead before they dropped game two in Tisdale 7-1.

In game three, despite being outshot 55-26, the Trojans stole another double overtime game and beat the Blazers 5-4, thanks to defenceman Cole Tanchuk tying the game with 1:01 left in the third period and center Trenton Curtis scoring the winner 3:05 into 2OT.

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A massive upset was possible heading into game four at the Tisdale RECplex on Tuesday, March 3.

The first period went back and forth, with both the Blazers and Trojans trading chances, but it would end scoreless.

Goaltender Hunter Lolacher, who made 39 and 51 saves respectively in the Trojans’ double overtime victories in games one and two, was more than okay with a deadlocked first period.

“I just wanted to get the first period over with,” Lolacher told northeastNOW. “After the first period was 0-0, I was really confident and wanted to win really bad.”

It took until the Blazers’ 28^th shot for them to beat Lolacher. Center Logan Cox was fed up the middle and made a move to his backhand to cap off a dominant second period for the Blazers.

With 1:54 remaining in the second, Lolacher kept his team in game four by making a sprawling stop off Blazers’ forward Tyson Wouters. The Trojans only trailed 1-0 despite being outshot 36-23.

“I definitely felt confident after that save,” Lolacher said. “The boys even said they felt more confident after that save and I think it was a big part of us winning today.”

The Trojans looked like a team that played with more confidence in the third period. They peppered Blazers goaltender, and SMAAAHL Goalie MVMP, Brett Mirwald for 15 minutes into the third period. The Trojans outshooting the Blazers 13-7 in the third was the only time they bested the Blazers in a 20-minute frame.

Trojans Head Coach Dennis Kubat said his squad didn’t feel frustration still being down 1-0 late, as Mirwald would always be a tough goaltender to score on.

“He didn’t win Goalie MVP of our league for nothing,” Kubat said. “We knew we had to get shots through and keep pressing. I thought our best period of the series was that third period and what a time to have it.”

In 30 quick seconds in the third period, the Trojans went from pushing to defending. Center Keagon Little tipped in Kalen Ukrainetz’s shot on the power play before forward Mack Carson tapped home another Ukrainetz pass into an open net.

“The first goal… what went through my mind is we’re tied, and we’ve got to get one more to get ahead,” Carson said. “We get the next goal and I’m thinking we’re up and we need to hold this lead; go defence.”

Less than two minutes after taking the lead, Trojans forward Noah Wills extended it late with a strong rush through a couple of Blazers bodies and scoring on a breakaway.

While both Carson and Lolacher breathed a sigh of relief after Wills made it a 3-1 game, Kubat was still on edge.

“My assistant coach (Daven Smith) told me once ‘next shift mentality,’” he said. “You get ahead of yourselves sometimes thinking holy [expletive] maybe we could actually pull this off. We’re just trying to concentrate on getting our guys out next, keeping the bench calm knowing there are minutes left.”

Thankfully for Kubat, the Trojans kept their feet on the pedal throughout the final 2:38 and completed the upset. They beat the Blazers 3-1 in game four and took the series 3-1.

“All the credit goes to the boys and how they fought,” Kubat said. “We told the boys after the second that we’ve been a third period team all year and it just goes to show. All 19 of those guys… they’re buying in and trusting what the coaches are telling them, and they’re producing on the ice.

“Our penalty kill was rock solid every game in this series. Those guys don’t get enough credit for what they do, the [Ethan Lang’s], [Kayden Ostrom’s], [Kylynn Olafson’s], [Jordan Normand’s], all just contributing. Everyone in that room can be happy.”

Kubat didn’t quite know the full answer as to how his Trojans defeated the Blazers – the team that swept them in the regular season series – in a best-of-five playoff series.

Carson, who was on the 2019 Trojans team that won Bronze at the Telus Cup national midget ice hockey championship that year, said the playoffs is a restart from the regular season.

“[Regular season games] are just learning steps and we learned from every game,” Carson said. “Playoffs is a whole different game; you have to have your whole team coming.”

A key to the Trojans turning their game around in the Blazers series was the play of Lolacher. The 16-year-old rookie tasting his first experience of Midget AAA post-season hockey had a 2.70 goals against average (11 goals in 244 minutes) and a 0.933 save percentage (154 saves on 165 shots) against the SMAAAHL’s top offence.

“He was the No. 1 star in every one of our victories,” Kubat said. “He’s been awesome all year; he’s been amazing from day one of camp to now and he’s just continuing to get better. He’s not arrogant or cocky… he’s a guy you root for.”

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

1-0, Blazers, Logan Cox (2) from Carter Stebbings (2), 8:26

Third Period

1-1, Trojans, Keagon Little (1) from Kalen Ukrainetz (1) and Drayton Hvidston (2) (power play), 15:06

2-1, Trojans, Mackenzie Carson (3) from Kalen Ukrainetz (2) and Zac Robins (2), 15:36

3-1 Trojans, Noah Wills (2) from Zac Robins (3) and Jeremy Hancock (1), 17:22

Goaltending

Trojans, Hunter Lolacher (W), 43 saves on 44 shots in 60 minutes played

Blazers, Brett Mirwald (L), 39 saves on 42 shots in 58:08 minutes played

Looking ahead

As of publication, the Trojans do not know their SMAAAHL semifinals opponent.

If the first-seeded Regina Pat Canadians defeat eighth-seeded Swift Current Legionnaires in game four on Thursday, March 5 or in game five (if necessary) on Friday, March 6, then the Trojans will travel to Regina. If not, they’ll travel to Moose Jaw and take on the fourth-seeded Warriors.

Until then, the Trojans will rest up, look at film, and live their lives until the SMAAAHL semifinals begin on Sunday, March 8.

“Hopefully this belief can carry over,” Kubat said. “We’ll enjoy it tonight.”

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow