The Wawota Flyers have taken a 2-1 series lead on the Bienfait Coalers in the Big Six Hockey League final.
The Coalers won Game 2 4-1 on March 14, thanks to two goals in the opening 12 minutes of the first period, and two more markers 88 seconds apart late in the second. With the win, the Coalers tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
Payden Benning opened the scoring at the 3:47 mark of the first period, and Jayden Storezuk tallied less than nine minutes later to give the Coalers the 2-0 lead after the first period. The score remained the same until the 18:36 mark of the second period, when a Blaine Herzberg goal gave the Coalers a 3-0 lead.
Then Dustin Stepp scored with six seconds to play in the middle frame to add to the advantage.
Tyler Matthewson scored the Flyers’ lone goal with less than 15 minutes to play in the game.
Two nights later in Wawota, the Flyers beat the Coalers 3-1 to retake the series lead. Brent Struble opened the scoring for the Flyers with 4:07 to play in the first, and Kevin Lincoln doubled the Flyers’ lead with 16.8 seconds to play in the frame.
Cole Stevenson scored for the Coalers a little more than four minutes into the second period, but Struble notched his second of the game about six minutes later to restore the two-goal advantage. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Adam Jordan was in goal for Wawota for both games. Jackson Walliser was the goalie for Bienfait both nights.
The Coalers will look to tie the series in Game 4 on March 18 in Bienfait. Game 5 is March 22 in Wawota.
Game 6, if necessary, would be March 24 in Bienfait, and Game 7 would be two nights later in Wawota.
As for provincial play, all three teams in the Big Six that were gunning for provincial championships have been eliminated. The Carnduff Red Devils lost 6-5 to the visiting Rocanville Tigers on March 12, and dropped their best-of-three senior B south final series in two straight games.
The Flyers lost in three games to the Gull Lake Greyhounds in the senior C south semi-final. The Flyers won Game 2 4-1 on March 11 in Wawota, but dropped a 2-1 decision the next night, which was also in Wawota.
The Redvers Rockets were knocked out of the senior D south final by the Kyle Elks. The Elks beat the Rockets 5-1 on March 12 in Redvers to take the best-of-three match-up in two straight games.
