By Aaron Schulze

Tisdale Trojans

Trojans down Contacts 6-2 in potential playoff match-up

Feb 6, 2019 | 12:59 PM

In what could be a likely first round series in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) playoffs, the Tisdale Trojans looked comfortable against the Saskatoon Contacts on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the RECplex.

A shorthanded goal by Liam Rutten four minutes in, MacKenzie Carson finished off a Jayden Wiens pass, and Dawnson Schaff capitalized on his power play time to put the Trojans up 3-1 for most of the second period.

The Contacts were neck and neck with the Trojans in terms of possession and scoring chances for most of the game and were only down 3-1. However, it was two goals in two minutes, the first from David Wiens and the other from the alternate player (AP) callup Mario Fortier which sealed the game.

Considering the win was achieved without one of their top leading scorers in Kalen Ukrainetz (suspended for two games due to fighting against the Notre Dame Hounds on Jan. 27) and their head coach Darrell Mann (suspended for two games when Ukrainetz got the instigator penalty), assistant coach Colin Ruether is pleased with his team’s overall effort.

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“I thought we did a lot of good things offensively,” Ruether told northeastNOW. “We scored some nice goals and we’ve been scoring a few goals lately so that’s a good sign. We’ve still got a few more things to clean up defensively and in our own end we gave up a few more shots than we’d have liked to. But overall, pretty good. It’s pretty hard to stay focused when you’ve got a three or four goal lead, but we did a pretty good job.”

The Trojans had 11 players get on the scoresheet in their 6-2 win over the Contacts, something Ruether noted is important, as the coaching staff wants to throw all four lines against other teams in all situations.

One of those players on the scoresheet was Mario Fortier, the 16-year-old forward is currently on his second stint with the Trojans as an AP scored and an assist on Tuesday.

Mann said while watching in the stands that Fortier is going to make the coaching staff’s line-up decisions difficult once Ukrainetz returns from suspension and Skylar Olson returns from a concussion this weekend.

Ruether called it encouraging that Fortier doesn’t only hold his own in the SMAAAHL but can play great games.

“Quite often when we bring up an AP, we’re finding a guy that can maybe play on our third and fourth line and just get a few minutes,” he said. “But Mario’s a pretty intelligent player. We can put him with our skilled guys, and he does a great job. Actually, our guys all like it when he comes because they all want him on their lines because he’s such a smart player.”

The Trojans sit in first place with 64 points (30-5-3-1) with five games remaining in the regular season. They will head out for their final road trip of the season when they play the third place Regina Pat Canadians on Saturday, Feb. 9 and the tied for fourth place Notre Dame Hounds the following evening.

Looking at the current standings, the Trojans’ most likely first round opponent will be the eighth place Saskatoon Contacts if they can clinch first. Ruether said his team likes that match-up and wants to have first place beneath their belt.

“It was nice to have a good game against them tonight and put some doubt in their mind in case we have to play them in the playoffs,” he said. “I think we match up pretty good against them.”

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow