The Man-Sask WolfPack novice AAA team won the 20th annual City of Bridges AAA International Hockey Tournament in Saskatoon on the weekend.
The WolfPack, made up of players from southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba, opened up the tournament with a 6-1 victory over the Fort McMurray Mountaineers. However, that would be the last time the WolfPack faced a less than formidable opponent.
In their second game, the WolfPack squared off against the Parkland Prospects from the Yorkton area. The WolfPack scored two quick goals midway through the first frame but before the period was over, the Prospects had tied the game up. At the end of two the WolfPack led by a goal, and an explosive third period put the game out of reach as they finished with a 6-2 victory.
In the third game of the round-robin format, the WolfPack went head-to-head with the Northern Predators of Prince Albert and area. The Preds drew first blood, but there was no quit in the WolfPack, who battled back from a two-goal deficit twice in the game. With less than three minutes left in the third, Carson Birnie struck twice for the WolfPack in under a minute to tie the game at 5-5.
Next up for the WolfPack was the Saskatoon-based Sask-Can team. The WolfPack continued their winning ways with a closer game than the score may indicate, winning 9-5.
The final round-robin game set up the WolfPack against the Northern Border Stars from the Lloydminster region. The Border Stars scored two quick goals in the first period to take the lead, but after two periods of play, the WolfPack had drawn within one. The third period was not kind to the WolfPack, as things began to go south quickly and the Stars scored five goals, handing the WolfPack their first loss by a score of 7-1.
However, the club's winning record was enough to get into the gold medal game, setting up a rematch between the WolfPack and the Border Stars the following day.
This time it was the WolfPack drawing first blood, as Denver Sehn wired a shot off the left wing two minutes into the game. Sehn scored again six minutes in to give the WolfPack a 2-0 lead. Six minutes later, Ty Hoste picked a top corner to extend the lead to three.
The second period was a different story, as the Border Stars rattled off three quick goals to tie the game. The WolfPack responded on a Cade Cole goal to restore the lead and then Jordan Marcotte found the back of the net to make it 5-3.
In the third period, the Border Stars got within one on a Grayden Garrett goal. The WolfPack responded with Hoste's second goal to take a 6-4 lead with 10 minutes to play.
The Border Stars weren't done yet, as they scored with 3:35 left. The WolfPack held off a late attack with a strong defensive effort and in the dying seconds of the game, Nathan Wagstaff iced it with an empty net goal, securing the WolfPack a 7-5 victory.
Next up for the WolfPack is the Regina Spring AAA Classic this weekend.
