(Mat Barrett/Melfort Mustangs)

By Mat Barrett

Sherwood Champs

Mustangs down Bombers, earn Sherwood Division title on home ice

Mar 11, 2022 | 9:39 AM

For the first time since 2015/2016, the Sherwood Division crown resides in Melfort, Sask. after the Mustangs defeated the Flin Flon Bombers 5-4 on Thursday night.

The win locked up the division, and earned home ice in the first round of the SJHL playoffs.

It was also the Mustangs eighth win in a row as they forced their way up the standings as things wound down in the league. Defenceman Leyton Holoien scored twice for the Mustangs and said being division champs feels good, especially to beat the team that’s chasing them.

“You could tell the boys wanted it,” he said. “We had a really good end to the season, putting together a bunch of wins, and it was good that we were able to get it done tonight.”

Holoien scored the ultimate game winning goal 5:12 into the third period. However, prior to that, Melfort was down 2-1 after one period of play. Captain Ben Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and said the team battling their way through adversity is not new to them.

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“It was just about a positive mindset, trusting the guy next to you, and just falling forward,” Tkachuk said. “We’ve got to trust each other in there, we’ve got a great group. It was important for us to get the next one and we just kind of rolled off that, it was a great character win.”

Nolan Doell opened the scoring halfway through the first period for Melfort but that was responded by Flin Flon goals from Xavier Lapointe and Rylan Theissen.

Flin Flon made it 3-1 in the second courtesy of Jaxon Martens, but that’s when Melfort stormed back. Logan Cox made it 3-2, and then Holoien scored a highlight reel goal to tie the game about nine minutes into the frame. Tkachuk would give Melfort the 4-3 lead just over the halfway point of the game and Melfort would hold on from there.

Gabriel Shipper tied the game in third, but Holoien’s second goal would fend off the Bombers as the Mustangs squeaked out the victory.

There’s still plenty to determine in the playoffs though as the Mustangs still do not know their seeding or first round opponent for the playoffs. Flin Flon has one game remaining, while Battlefords has three, and Yorkton has two remaining to potentially pass La Ronge for sixth.

The playoffs are set to begin next weekend.

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matbarrett@melfortmustangs.com

On Twitter: @matbarrett6