(Submitted photo/Wes Rudy)

By Ben Tompkins

One down two to go

Trojans playing the underdog once again as series begins Wednesday against league-best Blazers

Mar 12, 2024 | 5:05 PM

The Tisdale Trojans have beaten the odds and are still alive in the 2023/24 SMAAAHL playoffs.

After coming back from a 2-0 series deficit against the Warman Wildcats, the Trojans will face another uphill battle, as they’re set to face the league-best Saskatoon Blazers in Round 2.

“The team’s buying in and all that and they knew the situation with Warman and we know the situation with the Blazers that they have some skill, but when you play in-your-face hockey, that’s what playoffs are,” said head coach Wes Rudy.

“Our team knows we’re the underdog, and don’t get me wrong when you look at our team, there’s skill there, but hard work trumps skill most nights. If you want to play the odds, if you go in and outwork the other team, most nights you’re gonna win.”

Tisdale proved that theory in the first round, as they upset the Wildcats after it seemed like all hope was lost.

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After being outscored 14-3 in the first two games, the Trojans would rally for three straight victories (2-1 OT, 2-1, and 7-3).

“Winning in the playoffs and understanding what it takes to win in the playoffs is a process and the boys took a few games to figure that out. That group doesn’t have a lot of playoff experience, so it doesn’t surprise me that there were some nerves and anxiousness and maybe not the greatest games for the first couple,” Rudy added.

“You never know when it’s going to click, but it clicked for us. We had three games in a row where it could have possibly ended our season, so I think we were a little more comfortable in that spot than Warman was, especially once game five hit.”

Now, against Saskatoon, the Trojans are obviously hoping for a much better spot, as they look to advance to the league final.

If they are to do that, they will need to find success multiple times against a team they’ve only beaten once this year, while being outscored 25-11 in the season series.

“You want to put your best foot forward for sure, in the first game it’s about planting seeds and seeing where they grow and where they sprout. We’ll just go out and put our best foot forward and hope for a win in that first game,” Rudy told northeastNOW.

“It’s fun to play in front of the crowd of Tisdale, it’s electric. For the boys that have been here for a couple of years and haven’t had a chance to experience this, that’s kind of what it’s about for me. Make sure that these guys who have battled through get a taste of the playoffs for as long as they possibly can, enjoy the moment, and learn.”

Game 1 goes Wednesday in Saskatoon, Game 2 is Friday in Tisdale and Game 3 is Sunday back in Saskatoon.

Games 4 and 5, if necessary, are Mar. 19 and 21.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8