MELFORT — The Melfort Mustangs’ successful season came to an end in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League finals.
Melfort fell to the Battlefords North Stars, 4-1, in the best-of-seven Canalta Cup finals. The North Stars, who won the championship for the second time in three years advance to play the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion in the Anavet Cup. The Portage Terriers and Swan Valley Stampeders were to play game seven of the MJHL finals on Monday after the Recorder deadline. The winner of that series earns a berth into the Royal Bank Cup, Canada’s Junior A national championship.
The Mustangs posted a 37-17-4-0 regular season record. With 78 points in the standings, they were just three behind Sherwood Division rival Nipawin for the SJHL pennant. As the postseason’s fourth-seed, the Mustangs knocked off No. 5 Kindersley, 4-1, and Estevan, 4-1, en route to the finals.
“The thing I enjoyed most about this season was my teammates,” said Mustang Justin Ball, the league MVP. “I loved coming to the rink everyday, I loved interacting with everyone on the team, and I’m going to miss them all. Definitely the best and closest group I’ve ever played with.”
In the SJHL finals, Melfort earned a split on the road against Battlefords, the No. 2-seed entering the playoffs, in the opening weekend of the series. At home last week, the Mustangs were unable to earn a victory.
In game three, Ball knotted the contest at 2-2 on a power-play with just over 13 minutes played in the second period last Tuesday. The North Stars were able to score with only 15 seconds remaining in the period. They added a goal in the third to prevail, 4-2.
Last Wednesday captain Carson Albrecht scored to put the Mustangs up 1-0 in game four. Battlefords rebounded with two goals to take 2-1 lead going into the first intermission. Tyson Meyers and Tanner Zentner lit the lamp to give Melfort a 3-2 second-period lead in front of 1,426 at the Northern Lights Palace. Before the end of the period, Battlefords scored three straight goals to go on top, 5-3.
The Mustangs did not quit. They fought back to tie the game at 5-5 in the third period. Colin Schmidt, on a power play, and Albrecht had the markers that forced overtime. Battlefords’ Kaden Boser was able to score the game winner after just more than eight and a half minutes was played.
Trailing in the series 3-1, Melfort grabbed a 1-0 first period lead in game five thanks to a Ball goal. However, Battlefords held leads of 3-1 and 5-2 at the intermissions. The North Stars won 7-2 to claim the Canalta Cup. Battlefords netminder Joel Grzybowski was named the Playoff MVP with a .950 save percentage.
With the Mustangs’ season over, so are the careers of its nine players who were in their 20-year-old seasons. That group included defencemen Star City’s Boedy Donald, Marshall Skapski, and Kayle Tosh, who led all SJHL defencemen in the regular season with 58 points and 48 assists. Up front the following forwards age out: Dryden Michaud, George King (19 points in 20 regular season games after trade), Colin Schmidt (17 goals after Jan. 11), Zentner, Albrecht, and Ball. The latter three formed the SJHL’s best line. Ball led the league with 54 goals and 103 points. Albrecht finished second in the league in points with 89 and was named the league Player of the Year. What will Albrecht remember most about his three seasons in Melfort?
“I’ve been with the same billets all three years and they have went above and beyond with how they care for me,” said Albrecht, who billets with Cassie and Jerrod Davis. “They have made my time here one to remember.
“My teammates in the last three years as well. I have made lifelong friends and the memories with them I’ll always cherish. Especially this year, the guys got together really well and there was never a dull moment with them.”
