The Battleford Beaver Blues and Meota Combines enter the 2014 SPHL playoffs with losses to the Spiritwood Timberwolves.
Raymon Harris scored twice and had three assists in the Timberwolves' 9-6 victory against the Combines Friday night at the Civic Centre.
The Timberwolves opened the scoring with two goals midway through the first period. Spiritwood captain Bryce Gatzke and Harris scored 30 seconds apart nine minutes into the period to give their team a 2-0 lead. Raymond Witchekan added a goal 12 minutes into the first to put the Timberwolves up 3-0.
Meota responded with two goals before the end of the period. Tanner Robinson struck first with 4:20 remaining in the first. Kyle Gregoire scored less than two minutes later to get the Combines back within one before the end of the period.
The Combines evened up the game with less than four minutes left in the second. Tyson Knight's goal with 3:53 tied the game at three.
The tie did not last to the intermission. Gatzke found the back of the net for the Timberwolves with 10 seconds left in the period, giving Spiritwood a 4-3 lead.
Spiritwood scored five unanswered goals in the third to seal the victory. Shane Gopher beat Combines goaltender Carson Churchman 4:11 into the third. Two minutes later, Anthony Radke found the back of the net. Harris added his second of the game 8:37 into the period. Shane Gopher struck again 39 seconds after Harris's goal. Colton Poulin scored the last of the Timberwolves' goals with 8:39 remaining in the game.
The Combines tried to mount a comeback, but were unable to get closer than three goals. Brody Tatchell, Brett Miller and Robinson all scored in the third period.
Churchman picked up his fourth loss of the season. Timberwolves goaltender Jason Sawitsky won his seventh game.
Alternate captain Shane Gopher had two goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist to lead the Spiritwood Timberwolves to a 5-2 win over the Beaver Blues Saturday night at the Battleford Arena.
The Timberwolves struck first on the power play with two minutes left in the period. While Adam Kozlowski was in the box for roughing, Gatzke beat Battleford goaltender Mike Sylvester with assists from Harris and Gopher.
Spiritwood used the power play again to extend their lead in the second period. Shane Gopher got his first of the game with Greg Shury off for holding to put the Timberwolves up 2-0 five minutes into the frame.
The Beaver Blues cut the lead in half midway through the second period. Blaine Weber beat Sawitsky with 10:10 remaining.
Shane Gopher restored the Timberwolves' two-goal lead late in the second. His goal with 12 seconds left put Spiritwood up 3-1 heading into the third period.
Harris put the Timberwolves up three goals with his marker with eight minutes to play. Blaine Fineday added a power play goal with 1:48 left to put Spiritwood up 5-1.
With 24 seconds left in the third, the Beaver Blues made the game 5-2 when Darren Poitras beat Sawitsky. After the whistle, there was a scrum that led to a fight. Spiritwood's Wayne Jim and Battleford's Logan Weeseekase squared off. Both players received game misconducts.
It was Sylvester's first loss in two games played for the Beaver Blues. Sawitsky picked up his eighth win of the season for Spiritwood.
Despite the losses, the Beaver Blues and the Combines made the playoffs. Battleford finished fourth in the SPHL and will play the Timberwolves in the first round. The Combines finished sixth and face off against the Shellbrook Silvertips in a match up of the two first-year teams. Both series are best of five.
