It came down to the third and deciding game but the Preeceville Midget Pats, on which three players are from Canora, won the Major Hockey League B-side banner in overtime before a packed home-town crowd on March 20.
The Pats defeated the Esterhazy team 5-4.
The first game was held in Preeceville on March 4, ending with a 6-2 win for the Pats. In the second game in Esterhazy on March 10, it was Esterhazy that claimed the 6-1 win.
Emotions ran high for players and fans alike, according to the Preeceville coaching staff.
In overtime, the Pats made short work of the opportunity when Tyler Shankowsky, assisted by Bo Babiuk and Caleb Godfrey, found the back of the net to fulfill the Pats dream and to dash Esterhazy’s. The final score was 5-4 for the Pats.
In this series, players, fans and coaches were all under a great deal of stress with numerous verbal assaults thrown and a few fights, according to several Preeceville fans.
The game kicked off with a roar and both teams hit the ice hard. At the end of the first period, the score was tied at two. The second period had the Pats taking a 3-2 lead.
The third period told the tale of a very stressful, hard-hitting game as the number of penalties earned by both teams began to mount. Both teams scored but Esterhazy scored one goal more to send the game into overtime.
