The Tisdale Trojans salute the RECplex home crowd for the final time in the 2019-20 regular season. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Trojans Playoff Preview

Trojans secure seventh, preparing for final post-season preview against Blazers

Feb 21, 2020 | 12:30 PM

The Tisdale Trojans’ post-season match-up has been determined.

After the Trojans defeated the Yorkton Maulers 7-4 on Wednesday, to secure seventh place in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) standings, and the Regina Pat Canadians defeated the Beardy’s Blackhawks 6-0 on Feb. 20 to clinch first place, the Trojans will face the second-place Saskatoon Blazers in the first round of the post-season.

The Blazers lost the first SMAAAHL tie breaker – best regulation win record in games played between tied teams – to the only team they can tie in points in the Pat Canadians, while winning the first tie breaker against the only team that can tie them in points in the Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Trojans tied their season series with the only team that can catch tie them in points – the Swift Current Legionnaires – but won the next tie breaker by having more overall wins.

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With their final regular season game in Saskatoon against the Blazers on Saturday, Feb. 22, the Trojans get one more look against their first-round opponent.

“We’re mentally prepared,” Trojans Assistant Coach Daven Smith told northeastNOW. “The boys knew what was coming… I think we’re staying on the same page we were before.”

Saskatoon has not been an easy out for Smith’s team. The Trojans have lost all three games they’ve played against the Blazers so far by scores of 5-0, 5-1, and 3-0.

Two of the Trojans’ losses against the Blazers came during a four-game losing streak to begin February. Since then, the Trojans have won three straight games: 2-1 (SO) in Prince Albert, 9-3 at home against the Blackhawks, and their recent 7-4 win over the Maulers.

Forward Ethan Lang is a 17-year-old rookie for the Trojans, and he admitted the dressing room morale has taken a 180 degree turn since the beginning of the month.

“We’re feeling confident right now and we feel like we can do some damage in the playoffs,” Lang said. “We did have that little rough patch there where we were losing a couple of games in a row but getting back on the winning side of things is always good. You always want to be going into the playoffs riding a hot streak and playing your best hockey. We want to win our next one too to keep that going into playoffs.”

The 2020 post-season won’t be the first taste of playoff hockey for Smith. He played 22 games with the Trojans during his midget career from 2014 to 2016, and 27 games, including winning a league championship, with the Nipawin Hawks during his Junior A career from 2016 to 2018.

However, it will be the first time the 21-year-old assistant is behind the bench for a post-season run.

“Throughout every league it’s all the same,” Smith said. “It’s just going to be playoff hockey. Everything matters a little more – good bounces and bad bounces – you’ve got to be ready for it all.”

For 12 of the current Trojans – including Lang – 2020 will be their first taste of SMAAAHL post-season play. Lang said his teammates who have played in the SMAAAHL post-season and all the way to the Telus Cup national midget ice hockey championship have given him pointers on the change of pace.

“They said ‘keep your emotions in check,’” he said. “It can get really amped up and exciting and that can take away from your play a little bit. It’s going to be physical… just keep your head above yourself and play your game.”

The Trojans visit the Blazers at Rod Hamm Memorial Arena in Saskatoon on Feb. 21 at 7:45 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on Saskatchewan’s New Beach Radio.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow