The Dalmeny Sabres punched their ticket to the Twin Rivers Hockey League (TRHL) championship series in dramatic fashion last weekend, downing the Willow Cree Chiefs 5-3 on March 4 in Dalmeny and 7-2 on March 5 in Beardy’s.
With three straight playoff wins under their belts, the Dalmeny boys are looking to keep the momentum going when they face off against the Birch Hills Blackhawks next weekend.
TRHL President Raymond Carriere has some advice for those planning to be in the stands for the championship series.
“Get to the rink early,” said Carriere. “That’s the only way you’re going to find a seat.”
The Blackhawks, who overcame the Kinistino Tigers three games to two in a hard-fought East Division semi-final series last weekend, are the reigning TRHL champions, and one of the top teams in the league.
But the Sabres, who finished in third place in the TRHL West Division regular season standings, have shown they’re able to go toe-to-toe with anybody. They swept the second-place Rosthern Wheat Kings in the West Division quarter-final, and rallied from a two-game deficit to knock off the first-place Chiefs in the five-game semi-final series.
Dalmeny avoided elimination and kept their playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 overtime win against Willow Cree on February 26. That game proved to be the turning point. The Sabres’ win last Saturday tied the series and set up the showdown on Sunday.
The decibel level of the 650-plus crowd at Saturday’s match-up in Dalmeny was off-the-charts, especially midway through the game when the second wave of fans from Beardy’s arrived.
Both teams were hungry for the win, and were evenly-matched in terms of size, skill and speed. Spectators hoping to see hard hits got their money’s worth, while end-to-end action kept both goaltenders busy. Dalmeny’s Tyler Peterson faced 41 shots and Willow Cree’s Nathan Dancy saw 37 shots come his way.
Dalmeny took a two-goal lead into the first intermission on goals by Chance Adrian and Travis Swanson. Willow Cree’s Trent Campbell got his team on the scoreboard midway through the second period, and Lucas Seeseequasis tied things up with a pretty goal three minutes later. The joint was rocking as the Willow Cree supporters celebrated.
But Dawson Rowley drew a big response from the home crowd when he scored late in the period to restore the Sabres’ lead.
Craig Leverton’s marker at the six-minute mark of the third gave Dalmeny a 4-2 cushion. The Chiefs put the pressure on in the late stages of the game and were rewarded when Darwin Morin scored to make it 4-3. With under a minute to go, the visitors pulled their goaltender in a valiant effort to force overtime, but Dalmeny sealed the deal with an empty-netter with 13 seconds left in regulation. I’d tell you who scored but I couldn’t hear the announcement over the bedlam.
Carriere said it’s no surprise the TRHL’s brand of senior hockey is drawing capacity crowds.
“When we started this league six years ago, we had six teams,” said Carriere in an interview following the March 4 game in Dalmeny. “The focus was on recruiting and retaining local players, and we put a limit on the number of elite players.”
“Now we’re up to twelve teams, and I think this is one of the biggest and most successful senior leagues in the province. We’re getting better every year.”
Carriere said senior hockey is important in rural Saskatchewan.
“The rink is the centre of the community in small-town Saskatchewan,” he said. “In the winter, it’s hockey that brings the people out and instills a sense of pride in their town.
“You can see that tonight. It’s a full house. I’m sure there weren’t many people from Beardy’s who stayed home, but I think almost everybody in Dalmeny was at the rink too. The next series will be just as exciting.”