Chiefs claw back into Schmalz Cup semi
The Lakefield Chiefs are back in their PJHL Schmalz Cup semifinal.
After falling 2-1 at home on Saturday night, the Chiefs beat the Stayner Siskins 2-1 on the road Sunday afternoon.
The Siskins lead the best-ofseven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre.
Aaron Vatcher’s power play goal 6:29 into the third period broke a 1-1 tie with assists to Cole Robbins and Jeff Hawthorne. Matt Carroll returned earlier than expected from an upper body injury to open the scoring in the first period from Mike Connelly and Evan Marlowe. Stayner’s JD Falconer tied the game in the second period. Chiefs’ goalie Michael Christie made 43 saves for the win while Stayner’s Marcus Semiao made 39 saves.
The Chiefs voiced confidence following Saturday’s game where the difference was a couple of bad bounces.
A Siskins’ dump-in 12 seconds into Game 2 took a strange bounce veering 180 degrees to slip through Christie’s legs.
Mark Dupont got credit from Lucas Jeffrey and Kevin Boyd.
The Chiefs evened the score 13:39 later as Vatcher got a couple of whacks in a scramble to get the puck past Semiao on a power play. The Chiefs were one-for-eight on the power play and Stayner zero-for-seven.
Semiao stopped 39 shots including a pad save on Hawthorne’s breakaway with five minutes left in the third period.
It preserved the 2-1 lead which Stayner took 7:46 into the second period. It was another fortunate bounce as Jeffrey’s shot hit the inside of Christie’s skate and dribbled through his legs.
“We’re in a little bit of a hole right now but nothing we’re scared of,” said Chiefs’ defenceman Braeden Kublick, after Game 2. “We thought we put out a good effort and we’re ready to bounce back (Sunday). There are no worries in the dressing room. We have a good group. Nobody is being negative. We’ve got a positive attitude.”
“We thought we played pretty well,” said Chiefs’ assistant coach Shawn Dunbar. “The bounce 12 seconds in is kind of a hard way to start. It was just a weird bounce that fooled our goalie. We battled back and had lots of chances. A 2-1 game with a bad bounce 12 seconds in is anybody’s game. We’re with them. Our boys are a tight group. We can handle the adversity but we have to get a good jump on them (Sunday) for sure.”
NOTES: Chiefs’ president Don Dunford addressed the crowd prior to the game to offer the Chiefs’ condolences to the Humboldt Broncos junior team in Saskatchewan. A moment of silence was then held for the 15 Broncos’ players and staff killed in a bus crash on Friday. Dunford said the Stayner Siskins are going to donate the $1,100 unclaimed 50/50 draw prize from Thursday night to the Broncos.