SELKIRK, Manitoba – Sunday night was a big night in Manitoba Junior Hockey League as the Selkirk Steelers arrived home to a sold out Selkirk Recreation Complex for a total of 1641 screaming Steelers fans hoping to go up 2-0 in the MJHL Turnbull Cup Final. The Portage Terriers had other plans as they were trying to pull even at a game apiece, a hard task for any team in a visiting arena. There would be only one change to the two teams rosters from Friday night to Sunday night, that being that Portage goalie Jason Kasdrof was sitting, replaced by backup Kirk Coswell for game two. The first period saw a quick start for the Steelers as the Portage Terriers’ Yvan Pattyn was assessed a two-minute interference penalty at 2:22 of the first period, giving the Steelers a very early power play.
Strong play by the Steelers’ first power play unit allowed Jory Geddes and Derek Gingera to assist on a Joel Ridgeway goal as the home side took a 1-0 lead on the power play.
With both teams back at full strength it didn’t take long to for the Terriers’ to get on the board. Thirty seconds later Mike Gemmell connected on a pass to Riley Hay who threaded the needle to Brent Wold who beat Steelers goalie Jordan Washburn. The Terriers super star Kyle Turgeon fed Kajon McKay who blasted a shot passed Washburn to put the Terriers up 2-1 and the Selkirk Steelers home crowd was quite for the first time in the game.
At 14:51 of the first period Steelers lone goal scorer Joel Ridgeway was assessed a two-minute tripping penalty putting Portage on the power play and it turned out to be a costly penalty for Selkirk.
At 15:21 of the first Tanner Harms scored a power play goal, when the horn went the Terriers went into the dressing room with a 3-1 lead over the Steelers. The second period started and the Steelers were playing with an extra hop in their step, and at 4:50 of the second period that extra hop proved to work against them when Derek Gingera took a boarding penalty. The Terriers power play took to the ice and it proved to be costly again for the Steelers as the Terriers scored a second power play goal at 5:26 going up on the Steelers 4-1. The third period started with a bang for the home side Selkirk Steelers as they scored their second goal of the game thirty seconds into the period and were trying to close the gap on Portage.
Penalties proved to be too much for Selkirk as they took three more in the third period.
In an effort to try and close the gap on the Terriers, goalie Jordan Washburn was pulled from the Steelers net and Selkirk was given the extra attacker, at 19:22 of the third period Brendan Harms and Tyler Moore connected on a tic-tac-toe with Stephane Pattyn and scored the empty net goal putting the Terriers up 5-2 and ending the game and tied the series at one game apiece. Special teams seemed to be the factor in this game as the Portage Terriers for 2 for 5 (40%) and the Steelers were 1 for 5 (20%) on the power play. Selkirk was outshot 32-27 but both goalies had respectable save percentages for the game; Washburn had a .827 and Coswell had a .916. Three stars of the game were Tanner Harms – Portage Terriers (2 G) Kirk Coswell-Portage Terriers (.917 SP) and Steven Zacharias – Selkirk Steelers (1 Assist). Game three is on Tuesday in Portage La Prairie Manitoba.
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