WEYBURN – The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings have tied the best-of-seven series against the Humboldt Broncos, after Weyburn won on Tuesday night by a score of 5-3, and then in overtime on Wednesday night 4-3.
The Broncos earlier won by scores of 6-1 on Friday and 7-4 on Saturday. The series will now go to Game 5 in Humboldt on Friday night, and will be back in Weyburn on Sunday, March 31 at 7 p.m. If a seventh game is required, it will be played in Humboldt on Tuesday, April 2.
In Wednesday night’s game, Humboldt scored only 37 seconds into the game, and then Liam Fitzgerald scored to tie the game up, assisted by Matthew Hodson and Max Monette.
Nick Kovacs scored a go-ahead goal in the second period on the power play, assisted by Jerome Maharaj, but Humboldt tied the game, and added one more on an unassisted effort.
Jaxson Ruthven tied the game back up for Weyburn on a power play goal, assisted by Colin Doherty and Tyler Teasdale. There was no scoring in the third period, sending it into overtime, where Kovacs got his second goal of the game on an assist by Maharaj and Teasdale to win the game.
Dazza Mitchell was in net for the full 60 minutes and overtime, making 25 saves on 28 shots.
On Tuesday, Weyburn got on the scoreboard first on a goal by Braigh LeGrandeur on an assist by Ruthven.
Humboldt tied the game with a power play goal, then Lucas Schmid scored two minutes into the second period, assisted by Carter Briltz.
Humboldt again tied on the power play, before Blake Betson scored unassisted while short-handed.
The Broncos tied the game at 3-3 in the third period, but Ruthven scored the winning goal, on an assist by Jacob Visentini, and Kovacs clinched the win for Weyburn with an empty-net goal with 34 seconds left on the clock.
Mitchell was in goal for Weyburn, make 34 saves on 37 shots on net.