Spruce Grove on brink of elimination after 4-3 loss DEREK VAN DIEST
A championship season is on the verge of an abrupt end for the Spruce Grove Saints.
On Tuesday, the Saints fell 4-3 to the Wenatchee Wild in Game 3 of the Doyle Cup series at the Grant Fuhr Arena. The loss put Spruce Grove on the brink of elimination, down 3-0 to Wenatchee in the best-of-seven series to determine the Pacific representative at the RBC Cup Junior A National Championship starting May 12 in Chilliwack, B.C.
Wenatchee, the British Columbia Hockey League champions, can sweep the series with a win over Spruce Grove, the Alberta Junior Hockey League champions, in Game 4 on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Grant Fuhr Arena.
The Wild won the first two games of the series at home in Wenatchee, Wash., which shifted the remainder of the series to Spruce Grove.
Wenatchee is the first Americanbased team to win the BCHL title since the Bellingham Blazers in 1979.
Had the teams split the first two games in Wenatchee, they would have played a third before coming to Spruce Grove for the rest of the series.
In a hole coming home, Spruce Grove started strong in Game 3 but fell behind 3:54 into the first period as Wenatchee scored on their first opportunity of the contest.
Wild forward Sam Morton got to a loose puck in the slot and wired it past Saints goaltender Nolan Kent.
Spruce Grove battled back, taking the play to the visitors through the remainder of the period. They tied the game 1-1 on the power play on an excellent passing play in front of Wild goaltender Austin Park. Logan Ganie spotted Seth Fyten at the side of the net, who sent the puck across the crease to Austin Parmiter for an easy tap-in.
Spruce Grove had numerous chances to extend their lead but were unable to despite outshooting Wenatchee 16-6 in the frame.
Wenatchee was much better in the second period and began to use speed to create scoring opportunities on Kent.
Wenatchee did go on to take the lead, when Nathan Iannone cleaned up a rebound in front after August Von Ungern got behind the Spruce Grove defence and was stopped on a breakaway by Kent. Iannone was first to the loose puck sitting in the crease and lifted it in.
Wenatchee extended the lead to 3-1 on the power play at 14:55. Wild defenceman Cooper Zech took a shot from the point, which sailed wide but bounced off the end boards, hit Kent in the back of the leg and rolled in.
Kent kept the deficit to two through the remainder of the period as the Wild pressed.
Wenatchee extended their lead to 4-1 at 9:10 of the third, as Sam Helser beat Kent with a shot off the right wing.
Spruce Grove made a charge later in the period, scoring two goals 23 seconds apart to cut the deficit to one.
Parker Saretsky scored at 12:34 after taking a centring pass from Ganie and one-timing it past Park.
Nick Leyer scored on the following shift, beating Park from the slot to make it 4-3.
Spruce Grove poured on the pressure for the remainder of the period and came close to tying the game on a pair of occasions, but could not come up with the tying goal.
The Saints will have to win the next four games to move on to the national championship tournament. Spruce Grove swept two of their three AJHL playoffs series on their way to the league title.
Spruce Grove is without AJHL MVP Chris Van Os-Shaw, who broke his finger blocking a shot in Game 3 of the league final against the Okotoks Oilers.