Terriers Solve Cooper Late, Take 3-0 Series Lead

It was a lot like Game 1, minus the empty-netter, as Estevan goalie Shea Cooper gave the Bruins every opportunity to win, and they came up just short.

The difference was, Game 1 saw the Terriers lead early and hang on, while in Game 3, they were behind for most of the night, and came back for a 3-2 win.

Shots in the first period were 19-6 for the Terriers, but the Bruins led 1-0 on Troy Hunter's 4th of the playoffs. Jonathan Ceci made it 2-0 midway through the second, on a deflection, before Robbie Ciolfi scored a HUGE goal with 41 seconds left in the middle frame (his 4th in the last 2 games), to make it a one goal game again through 40 minutes.

The Terriers carried most of the play in the third. Ciolfi thought he'd scored his 5th of the series early on, but it was waved off, ruled that it was a high-stick. Tough to tell from my angle, but I thought the puck went UP off his stick and under the bar, therefore his stick would be below the crossbar... but again my vantage point is nowhere near that of the referee behind the net (either Wieler or Mercer). Ciolfi was adamant that his stick was at his waist, even after the game, but lucky for them it didn't cost them a win.

With under 7 minutes left in the third, the Terriers were short-handed for a 5th consecutive time, but not only did they kill it off, they scored their second short-handed goal of the series.

Cooper's only gaffe saw him come out to the hash marks along the wall to play the puck, and Justin Buzzeo, who made his Terrier playoff debut, forced him to turn it over, and after a mad scramble in the slot, Clarke Breitkreuz slid it into a mostly open net to tie it at 2.

I had the feeling the Terriers weren't playing for overtime, as they came hard in the final minutes, and a Devon McMullen one-timer was tipped home by Brenden Poncelet with 1:22 left, and stood as the winner. 3-2 Terriers.

Despite Estevan losing, my three stars were:

1) Shea Cooper, EST (43/46 saves)
2) Nathan Murray, YOR (2a)
3) Brenden Poncelet, YOR (1g, GWG)

Murray-Paterson-Poncelet were outstanding on the cycle. When Nathan Murray decides the puck is his... it usually is... for as long as he wants it to be! He was a force in Game 3, and has 4 points in the series.

The Terriers can't say they haven't got a break from the officials in this series, after Sean Dufour set up Jeremy Boyer for winner in Game 2 with a nice pass from the corner, but REALLY... 2 powerplays in the last two games, and 6 in the series so far?

Give Estevan credit, they're playing with discipline... but in the second period, AP call-up D Chase Norrish (who played great), walked around a Bruins' forward inside the Estevan blueline... had a great shooting angle in the high slot, got chopped down, no call. Then, the Terriers were handed three straight NEUTRAL ZONE tripping calls. Two to Buzzeo and one to Paterson. They were all legitimate calls... but how were THEY, and not the one on Norrish?

Powerplays have been 9-2 Estevan in the last two games, and 15-6 in the series. Yorkton's 0-for-6, but have scored two short-handed goals. The Bruins are 3/15 with the PP (20%), while giving up the two SHG's.

Game 4 goes Friday in Estevan, but I'm not even going to use the term "3-0 stanglehold." As close as this series has been, I wouldn't put it past the Bruins to rattle off 3 straight one goal wins themselves.

7:15 Pre-Game Show, Play-by-Play at 7:30 on Friday

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Weyburn stayed alive, beating Kindersley 4-1 Wednesday in Weyburn. Game 5 of that series goes Friday in Kindersley.

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And a BIG congrats to the Ochapowace Thunder!

After the home team had won each of the first six games, the Thunder went into Regina on Wednesday night, and beat the first place Capitals 2-1, to advance to the PJHL's South Division Final against Pilot Butte, likely starting Friday in PB.

Thatta be Ronnie Holloway and crew!