Combines forward, Justin Waskewitch (left) won the SPHL scoring title this season, leading the league with 20 goals and 32 points. He's pictured here facing off against Radisson. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Series Opens Friday

Heavyweights collide as Meota, Turtleford set for SPHL final

Mar 1, 2022 | 5:31 PM

It will be a showdown of the league’s top two teams when the Meota Combines and Turtleford Tigers clash this weekend to open an all-local Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League (SPHL) final.

No. 1 Seed: Meota Combines (14-0-0-0)

Coming off a perfect 14-0 regular season, followed by back-to-back playoff series wins, the Meota Combines will be searching for the fairy tale finish to their season with one more series win for a league championship.

Featuring a deep roster headlined by Justin Waskewitch who won the league scoring title this year pacing all players in both goals (20) and points (32) in 14 games, the team also has the league’s best blue liner, Taylor Tatchell who took home SPHL top defenceman honours scoring eight points in eight games in addition to his defensive prowess.

The Combines defeated the Radisson Wheatkings in a hotly-contested five-game series that went the distance, to earn their spot in the league final for the second straight year. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

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Ousting Spiritwood in three straight games to open the playoffs, the Combines then came out on top against a feisty Radisson club in a series-deciding Game 5 over the weekend, by a resounding 10-1 score.

Player/manager of the Combines – and recipient of the league’s most sportsmanlike player – Kyle Gregoire, said Meota are eager to get another shot at a league championship this year, after the team made the finals during the 2019-20 season and were up 2-0 in the best-of-five series, when the pandemic shut things down.

“We’ve been either in the semis or in the finals for the last five or six years, but we’ve only won the championship once in 2017-18,” Gregoire said. “So this was our goal from day one of the season, to make sure we give ourselves the best chance possible to get back and seal the deal this time.”

No. 2 Seed: Turtleford Tigers (11-2-0-1)

Not to be outdone, the Tigers pose a strong challenge for Meota.

After finishing the regular season second overall in the league standings with an 11-2-0-1 record, the team then took back-to-back three-game sweeps of their opponents through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Also featuring some of the league’s brightest stars, Tigers forward Austin MacDonald finished second in scoring with 30 points in 11 games and was named league MVP this season, while his brother Justin MacDonald received top goaltender honours, posting a league-high 2.31 goals-against average amongst starting goalies.

Turtleford are in just their second season as a team this year, since returning from a five-to-six year hiatus due to having too few players to make a team. The community will be looking for their first league championship since the North Sask. River Hockey League (NSRHL) days of over two decades ago.

Player/manager with the Tigers, Adam Gray said the team is looking forward to the opportunity ahead to compete for a senior hockey championship to bring back to Turtleford.

“Just having the team back has been huge for the town, as we had roughly 400 people at our last game against Battleford, and in the small Turtleford rink that goes a long way,” Gray said. “We’re rolling right now so we just have make sure to play solid defensively and try to shut down [Meota’s] power play and capitalize on our chances as well. It’ll be a hard-fought series the whole way through, for sure.”

Game 1 of the SPHL final will be played at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford this Friday, March 4, with puck drop at 8 p.m.

Full SPHL finals schedule

Game 1: Fri., March 4 @ ACC, North Battleford (8 p.m.)

Game 2: Sat., March 5 @ Turtleford (8:30 p.m.)

Game 3: Sat., March 12 @ ACC, North Battleford (8 p.m.)

*Game 4: TBD

*Game 5: TBD

*If needed.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1