By WAYNE SHIELS
The Martensville Marauders won the provincial championship of the Saskatchewan U16AA Hockey League in convincing style on Saturday, March 29, downing the visiting Weyburn Red Wings 6-3.
The trophy-clinching victory was the second straight win for the Marauders. They had opened the U16AA provincial final with a dominant 9-3 road win on Thursday, March 27.
In that game the two teams went head-to-head in the first period. Martensville’s Ryder Hagel scored a powerplay goal early in the first period. Weyburn tied the game late in the period.
Martensville Marauders rocketed out of the first intermission, firing 18 shots on net and scoring five times on goals by Cooper Sawatzky, Seth Holtvogt, Hazen Larson, Kohen Oblander, and Hudson Sawatzky. Weyburn scored once on the powerplay.
Weyburn scored another powerplay marker early in the third period and then Martensville put an exclamation on the win with goals by Seth Holtvogt, Sean Lavoie and Mason Schierling.
Mason Hazlet was solid in net, making 30 saves in the win.
In the Saturday game at the Martensville Recreation Centre ,Weyburn had a 1-0 lead despite the fact that the Marauders fired 19 shots at Red Wings goaltender Coen Windjack.
Martensville’s Sean Lavoie evened the score early in the second period. Weyburn regained the lead with a power play marker. Cruz Hamilton tied the game before the end of the period.
The Marauders hit their stride in the third period with goals by Hudson Sawatzky, Grayson Johanneson, Cruz Hamilton and Cooper Sawatzky against a single Weyburn goal.
Dane Konlin made 30 saves in the win, including stopping 16 of 17 shots in the third period.
The win capped off an amazing season that saw the team have 31 wins and one tie against only two losses.