Tigers off to second round of playoffs

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Published on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

By: Lanny Stewart

myWestman.ca

The Neepawa Tigers are headed to the second round of the Westman High School Hockey League playoffs.

The Tigers defeated the Minnedosa Chancellors 3-1 in the third and deciding game of the best-of-three quarter-final series on Monday night, and in the process, have advanced to the next round where they will face the Dauphin Clippers.

"It was a really intense and exciting game . . . it was pretty clear that it was an elimination game," said Tigers head coach Mike Adams.

The Tigers defeated Minnedosa 4-0 in Game 1, but ended up falling in double overtime to the Chancellors in Game 2 by a score of 4-3. Adams says his team, the defending league champions, were prepared for what Minnedosa was going to throw at them in a game where both team's backs were against the wall.

"We knew that they would elevate their game and bring everything they had so we had to be prepared for that. We have talked about preparation and being ready for games, so we don't have the slow start that we have sometimes had in the past."

The Tigers, who finished first in the regular season standings with a 17-0-1 record, will now prepare to take on a Clippers squad, who finished in a tie for third place overall (12-4-2) and recently lost a hearbreaker to Crocus Plains in the provincial playoffs.

"Dauphin has some good depth on defence and their goalies are some of the best in the league," said Adams. "We have had good games with them this year and we expect this series to be even more intense."

The Tigers also recently defeated the Major Pratt Trojans in the north provincial final best-of-three series, clinching a berth to the A/AA provincials, set to take place in Carman, March 7-9.

"There are only six teams going (to the provincials) and we had this as one of our goals, so anytime you can reach a goal you've set, you have to be happy.  

"We know that all we've done is get an invitation to compete and that we haven't really accomplished anything yet," he continued.

The Tigers won the provincial A/AA title last season.

Dates and times for the WHSHL best-of-three semifinal series between Neepawa and Dauphin are yet to be determined.