Buenaventura relished WHL Cup experience
It wasn’t the outcome he wanted, but Ethan Buenaventura will always have fond memories of competing at the 2019 WHL Cup.
The 15-year-old Calgary Hitmen prospect was hoping he could backstop Team Manitoba to its first gold medal at the event, but he and his teammates had to settle for a second-place showing after losing 4-2 to Team Saskatchewan in Sunday afternoon’s final at Winsport Arena.
“I wasn’t on the roster originally, but when I got the call I thought about just taking everything in,” said Buenaventura, of Winnipeg, who earned a spot to play for his home province at the tournament for WHL prospects born in 2014 as an injury replacement for Matthew Kieper. “It was pretty disappointing when I didn’t make the team, but when I got the call I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.”
Unfortunately for Buenaventura and his teammates, they couldn’t stop a determined Saskatchewan squad from making history on Sunday.
Kylynn Olafson and Tye Spencer tallied a goal and an assist each to lead Saskatchewan to its first WHL
Cup title, while Saskatchewan goalie Dylan Ernst made 21 saves to pick up the win.
“We’re going to go down in history,” said Olafson, a seventh-round pick (130th overall) of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft. “You can’t take the name off (the trophy) anymore.”
Olafson scored the eventual game-winning goal on a power play for Saskatchewan at 7:29 of the second period. At the time, the Manitoba coaching staff argued that the puck actually hit the crossbar and didn’t go in, but the officials upheld their call.
“I believe it didn’t go in, but the game’s over and there’s nothing we can do about it now,” said Buenaventura, who stopped 24 of 27 shots he faced a day after making 42 saves to backstop Manitoba to a 5-4 win over Team B.C. in the first of two semifinal games on Saturday (Saskatchewan then upset Team Alberta 5-3 in the evening game).
Despite the disappointing setback, Buenaventura soaked in the whole experience of getting to compete against and alongside a host of top WHL prospects.
“Everyone’s been great to me even though I wasn’t on the team at the start,” said Buenaventura, who the Hitmen selected in the fourth round (77th overall) last May. “It’s been an unbelievable and a lifetime experience.”
Tyson Zimmer and Conor Geekie had Manitoba’s goals in the final, while Vaughn Watterodt and Eric Johnston, into an empty net, also scored for Saskatchewan.
Earlier in the day, Jace Weir scored at 5:43 of overtime to lead Team B.C. to a thrilling 5-4 win over Team Alberta in the bronze-medal game.
“Our team played pretty well in the third period,” said B.C. defenceman Grayden Siepmann, who was selected 13th overall by the Hitmen last May. “We were battling hard and put a couple pucks on net that surprisingly went in.”
Although Alberta built up leads of 3-0 and 4-2 over their western neighbours, B.C. coach Jamie Jackson had faith that his players could pull off the come-from-behind victory.
“It just seems to be the character of our group,” said Jackson, whose team finished 2-1 in the preliminary round in second spot behind the 3-0 Albertans. “It sort of felt like a gold-medal game. Alberta’s a good team and the rivalry between our two provinces, it runs deep. For us, it felt like a big win.”
Kyle Chyzowski, Brayden Schuurman, Carter Streek and Brandon Lisowsky also found the back of the net for B.C., while goalie Kyle Kelsey made 31 saves, including four in overtime.
Billal Noori, Tyler Mackenzie, Connor Gourley and Graydon Gotaas scored for Alberta, while netminder Justen Maric stopped 23 shots.