SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN - The match-ups for the first round of the playoffs have been determined in the Big Six Hockey League.
The top-ranked Redvers Rockets will play the No. 8 Midale Mustangs in one series. Redvers had the best record in the league at 16-2, good for 32 points, while the Mustangs claimed the final playoff spot with eight points on a 3-13-2 record.
The second-seeded Carlyle Cougars, who finished with a 15-2-1 mark and 31 points, will play the Wawota Flyers (4-14, eight points), who are ranked seventh.
The third-ranked Moosomin Rangers (14-3-1, 29 points) will play the sixth-ranked Oxbow Huskies (8-8-2, 18 points). Moosomin had a chance to move up into second place on Sunday night, but lost 4-1 to the Mustangs in the final game of the regular season.
And the fourth-ranked Carnduff Red Devils (10-8, 20 points) will play the fifth-seeded Bienfait Coalers (9-9, 18 points) in the first round for the third straight year. In 2022, Carnduff defeated Bienfait en route to winning the Big Six's championship, and the following year, Bienfait dethroned Carnduff.
The Bienfait-Carnduff series was slated to be the first to open Tuesday night in Carnduff. (Results not available at press time). Game 2 is set for Feb. 15 in Bienfait, and Game 3, if necessary, would be Feb. 20 in Carnduff.
Dates for the other series have not been set. All first round series will be best-of-five match-ups.
The Kipling-Windthorst Capitals (2-15-1, five points) missed the playoffs.
The final weekend of the regular season was a busy one. Three games were played on Friday. Moosomin blanked Kipling-Windthorst 10-0, Bienfait beat Oxbow 5-3 in the game that decided in the fifth seed, and Redvers knocked off Carnduff 10-4.
Four more games were played on Saturday. Redvers pounded Wawota 11-2 to clinch the top seed for the playoffs, Bienfait defeated Kipling-Windthorst 5-3 to eliminate the Oil Kings from the playoffs, Oxbow trounced Midale 11-4 and Carlyle defeated Carnduff 5-3.
Bud Holloway was the league's scoring leader in the regular season with 36 goals and 35 assists for 71 points in 18 games, finishing ahead of his teammate Brock Trotter, who had 16 and 38 assists for 54 points. Redvers' Presten Kopeck was third with 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points in 17 games.
Moosomin's Kyler Beckett had the lowest goals against average at 1.98, nearly a goal per game better than Carnduff's Mason Plews, who was second at 2.78. Moosomin's Levi Horn was third at 2.80.
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Only one game was held in provincial play during the past week. The Cougars defeated the host Balgonie Bisons 9-5 on Wednesday night. The Cougars scored four times in the third period to break open a 5-5 game.
Jesse Gabrielle had three goals for Carlyle, including the winning goal early in the third period. Mark Shaw, Tyler Spencer, Dylan Kelly, Ben Johnstone, Koby Morrisseau and Josh Romanyk also scored. Morrisseau added five assists.
Landon Audet was in goal for Carlyle.
Game 2 is set for Feb. 17 and Game 3, if necessary, would be the following night. Both games would be in Carlyle and start at 7:30 p.m.
