The Cut Knife Colts are the 2013-14 SPHL champions.
With the series tied 1-1, Cut Knife won two games last weekend to down the Shellbrook Silvertips 3-1 in the final series.
Game three of the series was Friday night in Cut Knife. The Colts downed the Silvertips 6-1 with a balanced attack.
Darby Koshman got Cut Knife on the board with an unassisted goal 4:18 into the first period. Bye Braun made it a 2-0 game 8:38 into the first with assists from Jordan Noble and Kenton Albert. The Colts added a third goal with 23 seconds left in the frame when Gino Frank beat Silvertips goaltender John Nelson. Frank's goal was assisted by Troy Watt.
In the second, Jason Lloyd made it a 4-0 game for the Colts with an unassisted marker with 13:59 to play. With 11:22 remaining, Stephan Dupuis scored to extend Cut Knife's lead to five. Watt and Lloyd assisted on the Colts' fifth goal, which caused the Silvertips to switch goaltenders. Jory Segberg came in for Shellbrook, but the Colts continued to score. Brandon O'Donnel beat Segberg on the power play with Shellbrook forward Brendon Canaday serving his teammate Nathaniel Martin's roughing penalty.
Canaday broke Cut Knife goaltender Dallas Sperle's shutout in the third period. His goal with 13:09 left in the final period was assisted by Nick Martin and Brett Mason. The Silvertips were unable to get any closer as the Colts won 6-1.
The series wrapped up in game four Saturday night in Shellbrook. Ashton Hewson scored midway through overtime as the Colts edged the Silvertips 6-5 to win the championship.
Cut Knife opened the scoring 4:27 into the first. Albert beat Segberg with assists from Braun and Noble. The Silvertips responded with about seven minutes to play in the opening frame. Kyle Brataschuk put the puck past Sperle. The goal was assisted by Josh Elliot and Martin. Shellbrook added a power-play goal with 41 seconds left in the period. With Dupuis in the box for kneeing, Brataschuk scored his second of the period, making it a 2-1 game heading into the intermission. Elliot and Martin picked up assists on the goal again.
The Silvertips extended the lead to two 3:21 into the second. Elliot scored on Sperle with assists from Tyler Kuzma and Brataschuk. Cut Knife made it a 3-2 game with 3:19 to play. Brayden Bertoia found the back of the net from Albert. Shellbrook restored their two-goal lead with another goal late in a period. Mason scored with 33 seconds left in the middle period to make it a 4-2 game. Martin and Wourms assisted on the Silvertips' fourth goal.
In the third, the Colts tied the game with two goals two minutes apart midway through the period. Karsten McCrea made it a one-goal game on the power play with 8:46 remaining from Albert and Hewson. With 7:08 to play, Bertoia tied the game at four from Noble. Cut Knife took their first lead since early in the opening period with 3:52 left in the third. Hewson beat Segberg to make it a 5-4 game. Kirk MacDonald and Frank picked up assists on the goal. The Silvertips tied the game fives minute later. Elliot beat Sperle with 2:53 left in the game to send it to overtime.
Hewson gave the Colts the championship with 9:08 left in the first overtime period. The championship-winning goal was assisted by Noble.
Cut Knife finished the regular season in first place with 30 points. Including the playoffs, the Colts lost only four games all season.
