(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

Off to the semis

Mustangs eliminate Bruins, advance to second round after 4-2 win in Game 5

Mar 30, 2024 | 3:52 PM

The Melfort Mustangs will be heading to the second round of this year’s SJHL Playoffs, after defeating the Estevan Bruins in five games during Round 1.

The Mustangs closed the series at home on Friday night with a 4-2 win, giving them the 4-1 series victory.

“That was the biggest game of the year, first and second I didn’t think we played our best but I mean boy oh boy, the guys came out in the third and they were ready to work, so we’re excited to move on and shout out to the fans because they were awesome,” said assistant coach, Tye Scherger.

Mustangs salute their hometown crowd after advancing to the next round (Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

“We told the boys in the room in the second intermission that they were up three one and had a chance to close out in front of their fans, so for 20 minutes, they had to put it all out there every shift, work hard, get it deep, forecheck hard, play smart and be on top of the pucks, and they did exactly that.”

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After two periods of play, it was a 1-1 tie, after Estevan evened it up with a goal in the second.

It was then Cole Unger who started a three-goal rally by the Mustangs in that final frame, burying his first of the season to give his team the lead, as they never looked back.

“Nothing like getting your first goal in the playoffs to advance to the next round, proud of him, he’s kind of a quiet guy, but as a first-year, he works hard and he comes to practice every day willing to learn and put in the work,” Scherger added.

Now, the team will scoreboard-watch as they await their second-round opponent.

Handshakes following Game 5 between the Mustangs and the Bruins (Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

If the Humboldt Broncos wrap up their series on Sunday, Melfort will see them for Games 1 and 2 on Thursday and Friday at the Northern Lights Palace.

If the series goes seven, those games will be played on Friday and Sunday, and then if the Weyburn Red Wings win Games 6 and 7… the Stangs will welcome the Battlefords North Stars to town on Friday and Sunday.

“The boys got two days off to rest and heal and then we’re gonna see who we got and then we’re gonna prepare for them and we’ll get ready for the weekend,” Scherger told northeastNOW.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

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