Carberry, Killarney vie for provincial senior ‘A’ hockey title

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Published on Thursday, April 7, 2016

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

A pair of teams from the Tiger Hills Hockey League (THHL) competed last week for a chance at the Provincial Senior ‘A’ Championship. The league champions, the Killarney Shamrocks, along with the Carberry Plainsmen, faced a pair of games apiece against other top teams from the Manitoba Senior Hockey League (MSHL), North Central Hockey League (NCHL), South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League (SEMHL) and Carillon Senior Hockey League (CSHL). 

For the Killarney Shamrocks, they faced the Moosomin Rangers, the North Central Hockey League champions on Thursday, Mar. 31 in Rivers. The Rangers were able to defeat Killarney 5-3. That same night, Carberry challenged the Carman Beavers, the champions of the South Eastern League. At the end of regulation, it was the Plainsmen who would be victorious, earning a 5-3 decision.

On Saturday, Apr. 2, Carberry returned to the ice, this time at the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg, where they met the Manitoba Senior Hockey League champs, the Lac du Bonnet Blues. On this day, it was Lac du Bonnet who came out on top, with a 7-4 win. 

The following day, the Shamrocks also played in Winnipeg, against the Ste. Anne Aces of the Carillon Senior Hockey League. Needing a win to keep their provincial hopes alive, Killarney claimed a 6-5 victory. 

Once the round robin portion of the event concluded, math was needed to decide just who would move on to the next round. Once goal differential was examined, Killarney was able to advance to the semi-final, while Carberry was eliminated by a differential of just a single goal.

Next up for Killarney, they’ll face the Ste. Anne Aces, while in the other semi, Carman will take on Lac du Bonnet. That game will be contested at the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg on Saturday, Apr. 9. The winning clubs will play the following day at the Iceplex for the right to move on to the national championship, the Allen Cup.