For the first time since Game 6 of last year's Sherwood Conference Final, the Melville Millionaires are set to do battle with the Weyburn Red Wings.
The 2009 Sherwood Championship was as exciting a series as you'll ever see. The Mils won Game 1 on the road in overtime, got spanked 5-0 at home in Game 2... and then it got REALLY interesting. Melville was down 3-1 LATE in the third period of Game 3 before Kelly Friesen put a slapshot off the crossbar and in on the PP to make it 3-2, and Kale Dolinski tied it with about 1:30 left. It looked like overtime was coming, before Curtis Beech sprung Daniel Hope on a 2-on-1 with Logan Herauf. Hope saucered a pass to Herauf, who went forehand to backhand and slid it past A.J. Whiffen, I believe with 46 seconds left and the Mils hung on. Game 4, I think it was 4-2 Weyburn after 2, but the Mils came back thanks to third period goals by Matt Kinnunen and Levi Lind, before Casey Dion ended it in double overtime. Game 5 saw the Mils blow a 2-1 third period lead and lose 4-2, but Travis Bosch shutout the Wings in Game 6, and the 3-0 win sent the Mils to the final.
Just typing that REALLY made me realize how many key guys from last year's run to the final are gone. But the Herauf-Desjarlais-Decorby line has been one of the best in the league so far... I think the challenge will be getting goals from the other 9 forwards in the lineup, and seeing how the Wilyman/Rakochy combo can fill in for Bosch. Really, it's been so-far-so-good for the two of them, including the 16-year-old Rakochy, who made 43 saves in a 4-1 win over Battleford on Friday night. Rakochy's back between the pipes tonight in Weyburn, and we'll air a 5-minute conversation I had with Zach yesterday, and if you can't hear the game, or want to hear it twice... here it is!
Zach Rakochy
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