Regina eliminates Hamilton in semifinal
REGINA — Last year’s loss in the Western Hockey League final has been at the back of Regina Pats defenceman Josh Mahura’s mind all season.
Now, Mahura and the Pats are one win away from capturing the Memorial Cup after a 4-2 semifinal victory Friday night against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
“I think for a lot of guys that were here last year, it literally means everything,” Mahura said of reaching the Canadian major junior championship game.
“We were so heartbroken last year to lose in the finals and to be back here is a surreal feeling.”
Regina was set to face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Sunday in an attempt to win the fifth Memorial Cup in franchise history.
Sam Steel scored the winner in the third period and Max Paddock made 44 saves for the tournament hosts. Cameron Hebig, Austin Pratt and Jake Leschyshyn, into an empty net, also scored.
Regina will try to duplicate what the Windsor Spitfires did last year and become the second straight tournament host to capture the Memorial Cup.
“Everybody is just electric right now,” Paddock said.
“I mean, you know, we’re all pumped about the win, but I mean we got a redemption shot at Bathurst here so, we’re looking forward to that too, but we’re excited.”
Steel teamed up with linemate Nick Henry to force a Kaden Fulcher turnover and eventually put it into the wide-open net at 14:05 of the third.
Steel leads the tournament with 13 points.
There was some discussion among the referees as to whether a penalty should be called with Fulcher getting tangled up, but the goal stood.
“Big goal, right time,” Regina head coach John Paddock said.
Fulcher made 20 saves in defeat and said that Steel’s goal was one of the toughest ways to lose a game.
“It’d rather one go in from the red line, a clean shot that beat me, than something that might be considered controversial go in,” he said.