Chiefs fall to Eastman in five game thriller
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- Published on Friday, March 18, 2016
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
An impressive effort by the Yellowhead AAA Midget Chiefs has fallen just a little bit short, as the team has been eliminated from playoff contention by the Eastman Selects. The Chiefs would push the series to a full five games before falling in Beausejour on Tuesday, Mar. 16 by a margin of 3-2.
The final game, much like the series, was a close one. The game remained scoreless in the first, with the shot totals dead even at eight apiece. In the second, Eastman opened up the scoring with a power-play goal at 4:39. Yellowhead replied quickly though, as Strathclair’s Noah Geekie scored his second goal and fourth point of the series to tie things up at 1-1.
For the third period, Eastman ramped up its effort, pushing to reclaim the lead and outshooting Yellowhead by a 20-5 margin in the final 20 minutes. Once again, it was a power-play opportunity that allowed the Selects to take the lead, as Owen Blocker scored at 3:03. Undeterred, the Chiefs answered back just 91 seconds later, with Josh Belcher of Rapid City earning his first goal of the series. As the period drew to a close, Chiefs goaltender Riley Lamb faced wave after wave of shots, but kept the game tied. But late in the third, it was once again the penalty kill that proved to be the undoing for Yellowhead, as the Selects scored their third power-play goal of the night with just over seven minutes left to play. The Chiefs pressed hard for the equalizer, but it was not meant to be, as Eastman was able to run out the clock and secure the win.
Though Yellowhead was ultimately upended by Eastman, the Chiefs did prove to be the greatest challenge the Selects have dealt with all year. Throughout the regular season in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League, Eastman ran roughshod over every other team, on the way to accumulating a record of 40-1-3. During the semi-final series with Yellowhead however, the Selects lost twice in regulation.
Eastman now moves on to face a well rested Winnipeg Wild club in the final. The Wild made its way to the championship by defeating the Winnipeg Thrashers in three straight games. The best of five series began in Beausejour on Thursday, Mar. 17. If the series goes a full five games, it will conclude on Friday, Mar. 25.
