Dawson Schaff’s second goal of the game, coming 1:42 into overtime, was the difference as the Tisdale Trojans pulled out a dramatic 6-5 victory over the Thunder Bay major midget Kings Sunday in the championship game of the TELUS Cup West Regional in Tisdale, Sask.
Despite both squads knowing they had already secured berths to the TELUS Cup in Thunder Bay later this month, each club came out amped up in their quest for a Western title.
It was the Kings that struck first in the contest 5:07 in as Nikolas Campbell took a Nicholas DeGrazia feed on a two-on-one and fired one past Tisdale starter Tanner Martin with Dawson Lampi adding the second assist.
The Trojans came right back a minute and a half later to level the proceedings as Cade Hayes went in alone and made a quick move to his right before stuffing the puck past the outstretched of Kings’ goalkeeper Jordan Smith.
Going to the power play, the North American Prospects Hockey League U-18 and Hockey Northwestern Ontario champions regained the lead at 8:26 with Christian Veneruzzo jamming one in on a goal-mouth scramble.
Tisdale answered again however before the first frame was complete by connecting on a man advantage of their own with Hayes putting a crisp cross-ice pass on the tape of Jayden Wiens, who one-timed a blast from the right side and in before Smith could get over.
Heading to the second stanza, Thunder Bay came out flying and tallied twice before the session was a minute old to go up by a pair with Campbell connecting on a backhander 41 seconds in and Veneruzzo striking again moments later.
Countering, the Trojans forced a turnover behind the net and pulled to within one midway through the contest with Wiens catching Smith off his post and notching his second of the day.
The home side brought the pro-Tisdale capacity crowd back into it some more at 10:53 when Trenton Curtis was sent in alone on a breakaway and made no mistake roofing one high to the top right-hand corner.
Continuing to ride the wave, the Trojans tacked on another a couple shifts later on a Schaff effort from the side of the crease as they carried a 5-4 cushion into the third.
It stayed that way until the final moments of regulation, when, with their goaltender out for an extra attacker, Campbell tied it with just 10.9 seconds remaining, with his third of the game, to force OT.
However, Tisdale pressed the pace early in extra session and were rewarded with Schaaf’s game-winner as he put in the decider following a frenzied scramble in the crease to give the Trojans the Western crown.
Now Thunder Bay (Host); Tisdale (West); Calgary Buffaloes (Pacific); Toronto Young Nationals (Central); Magog Cantonniers (Quebec) and Halifax McDonald’s (Atlantic) will vie for the TELUS Cup Canadian National Midget Championship, April 22-28, at the Fort William Gardens.
TELUS Cup ticket packages remain on sale at HockeyCanada.ca/tickets.
TELUS Cup West Regional
April 4-7
Tisdale, Sask.
Competing teams
Tisdale Trojans (Host) (SAAAMHL)
Thunder Bay Kings (HNO)
Brandon Wheat Kings (MMHL)
Notre Dame Hounds (SAAAMHL)
Results
Thursday, April 4
Game 1: Notre Dame 4 Brandon 2
Game 2: Tisdale 3 Thunder Bay 1
Friday, April 5
Game 3: Thunder Bay 5 Brandon 4
Game 4: Tisdale 3 Notre Dame 0
Saturday, April 6
Game 5: Thunder Bay 1 Notre Dame 1
Game 6: Tisdale 6 Brandon 1
Sunday, April 7
Final: Tisdale 6 Thunder Bay 5 (OT)
TELUS Cup Canadian National Midget Hockey Championship
April 22-28
Thunder Bay, Ont.
All games at the Fort William Gardens
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