St Malo Warriors take stranglehold lead in CRJHL semi-finals

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This article was published 15/03/2024 (309 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the grand sports debate between ‘rest’ and ‘rust,’ the St Malo Warriors put a point in the rest column.

The team was off for 20 days after earning a first-round bye in the Capital Region Junior Hockey League playoffs, but looked ready to play, as they have stomped all over the Lundar Falcons, defeating them 9-0 in game one of their semi-final.

They’ve continued that strong run of play, winning games two and three to take a dominant 3-0 series lead in the best-of-seven semi-final.

The Falcons needed to come back from a 2-0 deficit in their round one series with North Winnipeg just to advance.

“Lots of credit to the guys and how they practiced,” assistant coach Patrick Trudeau said after a 4-2 game three victory March 12.

“They came to practice with purpose, they didn’t come just to skate. They came to really learn and listen to what we had to teach them.”

After a rough start to 2024, including losses to the Falcons and North Winnipeg, the Warriors have turned into a juggernaut. The team went 10-1-1 to end the season, with their only loss coming to the Arborg Ice Dawgs on the final day of the regular season when their spot in the standings was set in stone.

That hot streak has continued in the playoffs.

“(We’re) just not letting them through the middle of the ice in our own zone,” Trudeau said when asked on what the key to the series has been through three games.

“(We’re) making sure we’re boxing out guys early, making sure our goalie can see pucks.”

The Warriors have split starts between their two goalies, with Trudeau saying the team has confidence both Logan Mazinke and Jozsé Gauthier-Urmos can get the job done.

The winning goal in game three came off the stick of Kaden Rioux, who made a great cut to the net, beating his defender to the slot before firing a puck past Lundar starter Kennedy Kerr on the glove side. Rioux got the shot off right before a covering Lundar defenseman clobbered him with a huge hit.

“We talk a lot about ‘you’ve got to take a hit to make a play,’ and that’s what he did,” Trudeau said.

“You know it wasn’t fun, but at the end of the day if you win and you do those little things it’s all worth it.”

The Warriors know the job isn’t done until this Lundar team is completely beaten. The Falcons are 3-0 in the playoffs when facing elimination.

Game four will take place in Lundar on March 15, with a game five if necessary set for March 18 in St Malo.

In the other CRJHL semi-final, an upset may be brewing, as the Beausejour Comets have taken a 2-1 series lead on the first-place Selkirk Fishermen.