The top four teams at this year's Central Canada Cup have been determined after a busy Day 2. The big question now is who will finish where.
Five games were played in the tournament Thursday, with all five teams playing twice in the same day.
The Royals and Selects were locked in a scoreless tie through the first period, but that disappeared fast in the second, with seven goals coming in the middle frame. Saskatoon's Matthew Ripplinger opened the scoring 27 seconds into the second, but the Selects battled back, with quick goals by Leo Kaludjak and Theron McGregor giving the Selects a 2-1 lead.
Sadly for the hometown team, it wouldn't last. Spencer Krieger tied the game up for the Royals midway through the frame, then Michael Kunz gave Saskatoon the lead moments later. Owen Angootealuk would bring the Selects back to even with a shorthanded goal later in the frame, but Rhett Fahlman gave the Royals the lead late in the period, sending Saskatoon into the third up 4-3 - a late goal by Ripplinger clinched the win for the Royals.
Ethan Fechter started the game for the Selects and made 24 saves before being pulled during the second period onslaught - Paxton Moore made 25 saves in relief. Nic Jensen got the win for the Royals, making 18 saves.
Next up came the St. Paul Canadiens from the NEAJBHL and the LJHL's Current River Storm - the Canadiens got out to a first-period lead and rode it out to a 6-3 win.
Konnor Poitras and William Chemago scored early on for St. Paul before Noah Broughton got on the board for Current River. Jarett Boulianne gave the Habs a 3-1 lead, but Current River clawed back to tie it on the strength of two goals by Brandon McKinnon. Despite the comeback, the Canadiens would exit the first with the lead, thanks to a late goal by Liam Boyko.
Chemago and Isaak Watters added goals in the second to seal the victory for the Alberta squad. Sebastien Culham stopped 18 shots to win it for the Canadiens, while Parker Ball stopped 28 pucks in the Storm net.
That set up game three for the day and the second of the day for Saskatoon, facing KJHL champions Peguis. The Royals gave up an early lead to Peguis, but battled back to win 6-5 in overtime.
Lyle Murdock and Brody McPherson scored in the first for Peguis before Ripplinger got the Royals on the board early in the second period. Murdock got Peguis up to a 3-1 lead just a minute into the second, but in came Mackenzie Wallace and Eric Diekrager, who combined for three goals in under four minutes, pulling the Royals ahead. Tyrone Meldrum tied the game up for Peguis late in the second, sending the game into the third tied 4-4.
Ripplinger scored again midway through the third, giving the Royals the lead, but Peguis would not accept defeat without a late surge. That surge paid off, with Murdock finishing off his hat-trick with just 21 seconds to go in regulation, tying the game.
In overtime, discipline would decide the Juniors' fate. With a Peguis player in the box in the extra frame, Saskatoon would come away with the victory, with Wallace getting his second of the game, giving the Royals their second win against a Manitoba team of the day.
Brayden Schenstead stopped 24 shots en route to the win, while Tucker St. John made 42 saves for Peguis.
St. Paul and PBCN would then hit the ice again for game number two, with the Canadiens laying a whuppin' on the hosts, beating the Selects 7-0.
Kayden Morrison and Quinn Szpak each scored twice in the first period, then Damian Langevin-Whitford, Chemago and Poitras added reinforcements down the stretch, while PBCN couldn't get on the scoresheet.
Moore stopped a whopping 58 shots on the night, while Mitchell Webb had a quiet game, saving all 17 shots he faced.
In the final game of the day, Current River would face off with Peguis, with the Storm coming for the Juniors and getting a 6-2 win.
Current River got goals from Nolan Desjardins and Alex Smith in the first, then four more in the second from Rylan Grenier, McKinnon and Gage Hordy. Peguis' Brodie McPherson and Freddy Ledoux added goals of their own to try and get the KJHL champs back in it, but Storm netminder Paul Lecuyer shut the door, making 42 saves for the win.
Peguis netminder Marcus Whitecloud started the game and was pulled halfway through the game for Tucker St. John, with the two goalies combining for 32 saves.
The loss eliminated Peguis from playoff contention, having lost all four of their games. The Juniors do not play Friday and are now guaranteed to finish the Central Canada Cup in last place.
The other four teams will compete for semifinal spots, which as of Thursday night are not yet confirmed. The Canadiens have won all three of their games so far and remain the odds-on favourite for the top spot, going 3-0-0, while Saskatoon sits second with a 2-0-1 record. Neither Current River or PBCN can catch the Habs - the Storm have a record of 1-1-1 through Thursday, while the Selects have a 1-2-0 record.
On Friday, Saskatoon will play St. Paul in a game that will decide the number one seed at 11 a.m., while Current River and PBCN will face off at 2 p.m. Saturday will see two semifinal games played - one between the first-seed and fourth-seed at 11 a.m., then a second one at 2 p.m. between the second-seed and third-seed. The winners of those two games will play in the final Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
