Meota, Turtleford ready for SPHL Finals rematch

Combines captain and manager Bryce Gatzke is looking forward to Game 1 of what should be another classic showdown between the two sides this year.

“It’s exciting, we’ve kind of established a rivalry with [the Tigers] over the last couple of years and obviously when you play them back-to-back in the finals there’s going to be some bad blood and excitement too, so we’re really looking forward to it,” Gatzke said.

The Combines (11-4-0-1) entered the playoffs as the #3 seed, taking a 2-0 sweep of Neilburg in their best-of-three first-round series, followed by a 3-1 second-round best-of-five series win over the Radisson Wheat Kings.

With 39 goals through their first six playoff games, the Combines enter the finals averaging a league-high 6.5 goals per game. The team also features six of the top 10 scorers this postseason.

Forwards Michael Pylypow and Blake Tatchell are tied atop the scoring leaders with eight goals and 13 points apiece. Jayden Nachtegaele (10 points), Jake McMillen (nine points), and defencemen Sean Patrick (nine points) and Myles Baptiste (eight points) round out the top 10, with the latter two also pacing all blue liners in points.

Combines goalie Cam Taylor is 5-1 for Meota through the opening two rounds, with a league-leading 2.42 goals against average this postseason.

Turtleford counter as the hottest team heading into the finals, having won four straight.

After opening the playoffs with a 2-1 best-of-three first-round win over Glaslyn, the #4-seed Tigers (11-5-0-0) swept Battleford in three straight to take their semi-finals series 3-0.

Tigers forward Trent McNabb, pictured here versus Meota. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The Tigers are led offensively by last year’s league MVP, and frontrunner for this year’s award, Austin McDonald.

McDonald won the scoring title in the regular season as the lone player to hit 50 points, doing so in just 16 games. His 21 goals were also tied for the most amongst players. McDonald sits just a single point back of the playoff scoring lead with seven goals and 12 points over his opening six games this postseason.

Forwards Austin Sloan (seven points), Damien Nordell (six points), and Jacey Nordell (six points) round out the top three in Tigers’ scoring.

Between the pipes, Tigers’ netminder Justin McDonald is 5-1 with a 2.84 goals against average, also amongst the league’s best at the position.

Tigers coach Brody Gervais said the team is hungry to get another shot in the league finals this time around, as that was their singular focus from the outset of the season.

“It’s just a testament to the players’ hard work and character,” Gervais said. “They set out a goal at the start of the year that we were happy with nothing less than getting another shot at the finals, so it’s good on the guys for putting in the effort and maintaining their focus to reach that goal. Now we work on the series ahead.”

He said while the rematch may add some additional fuel to the fire, the important thing for the team is staying focused on their own game and what they can control.

“[With] it being a rematch there’s some added motivation for redemption, but we try not to focus too much on who we’re playing, more just play our style of game and be ready to go every night,” he said.

The opening two games of the finals series will be played at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford this weekend, the home rink of the Meota Combines. Puck drop Saturday for Game 1 will be at 8 p.m., with Game 2’s start time at 7 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

Meota, Turtleford ready for SPHL Finals rematch

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