HUMBOLDT — With the backing of their fans, the Humboldt Broncos hope to keep their season alive on Tuesday night.
The Broncos enter game five of their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League semifinals series against the Flin Flon Bombers trailing 3-1. The contest will be at the Elgar Petersen Arena. The No. 5-seeded Bombers won the first three games of the series before the No. 2 Broncos prevented a sweep with overtime heroics by captain Kade Olsen.
“We are extremely excited about Game 5,” Broncos goaltender Rayce Ramsay said. “Our backs are up against the wall right now and I’m sure some people have already counted us out, but we believe in ourselves and each other and are looking forward to another battle on Tuesday.”
In the first two games of the series, the Broncos drew 1,132 and 1,276 fans, respectively. Humboldt head coach Scott Barney said he is “Looking forward to Humboldt packing the rink for another great atmosphere at the EPA.”
Headed into Game 5, Barney said, “The biggest thing for us is to focus on one shift at a time.”
Although the Bombers hold a two-game upper hand, the series has definitely been a battle. Two contests have required overtime. Only one game was won by more than a goal.
In Game 4 on Saturday, the Broncos led 2-1 late in the third period on the road. The Bombers pulled their goalie to get an extra attacker. With only 5.9 seconds remaining, Flin Flon forward Jaeden Mercier scored to knot up the contest. In OT, Captain Kade delivered.
“Olsen made a great read picking a pass off, little chip by their forward and put himself in a great area to score and made a fantastic shot,” Barney said.
Earlier in the contest, the 21-year-old defenceman from Saskatoon recorded an assist. Known for his physical play and strong defence, the 6-foot-1, 177 pounder has proven he can contribute offensively. Olsen had two game winning goals in 2019-20. After missing the severely shortened 2020-2021 campaign with an injury, Olsen posted a career high 20 points in 54 games during the regular season. He has three points through 10 playoff games.
Olsen’s leadership is another crucial aspect of what he brings to the Broncos. He served as an assistant captain in the past before receiving the “C” for this campaign. Olsen played three games with the club as an affiliated player in 2017-18 before joining the team fulltime the next season. He is now in his fourth campaign with the team.
In the postseason, LeRoy’s Connor McGrath has led team with 10 points in as many games. Alex Morozoff paces the Broncos with four playoff goals. Ramsay has played all 10 postseason games for Humboldt. He has a 2.57 goals against average.
For the Bombers, Cal Schell has been strong in net. He has a 2.43 GAA. Drew Kuzma has led the team with six goals in 10 games. Gabriel Shipper and Rylan Thiessen each have recorded 10 points.
