Neepawa Farmers blank Cartwright
- Details
- Published on Friday, February 23, 2018
Neepawa goaltender Brad Nelson makes the save, on the way to the shutout on Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Yellowhead Arena. The Farmers closed out the night with a 4-0 victory.
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner & Press
The Neepawa Farmers needed to come up with a big effort against the Cartwright Clippers on Thursday, Feb. 22. They did that, and then some, on the way to a 4-0 win.
The Farmers had headed into this showdown trailing the Clippers in the best of five quarter-final series two-games-to-none. The team was hoping for a quick start, in order to set the tone for the rest of the night. Neepawa’s Ward Szucki was able to do just that with a goal just 48 seconds into the first period. The Farmers continued to put on the pressure, eventually adding to their lead before the end of the first with Ian Kerkowich, putting one past Cartwright goaltender Troy Chandler.
The emotions of the game were also ramped up in the first, after a check into the boards injured a Cartwright player. The injured player had to be aided off the ice, after being severely shaken up from the contact. That would ensure the rest of the game would be played with some increased intensity.
A Rodney White goal early in the second period, provided Neepawa with a solid 3-0 lead. The Clippers would increase the pressure, which did lead to several offensive chances, but nothing that slipped past Farmers’ goaltender Brad Nelson. While the goaltender had a solid night in net, he also had a little bit of luck on his side. Mid-way through the second period, a streaking Cartwright player came into the Neepawa zone after a loose puck. Nelson skated out of the crease to wrangle the puck, by the Clipper forward was able to bump it away. He was unable, however, to corral the loose puck and put it in the back of the open net.
For the final 20 minutes, the penalty minutes started to pile up, mainly on the Neepawa side of the sin bin. Kyle McDonald and Reigan Buchanan ended up being the worst culprits, getting tagged with a game misconduct and 10 minute major respectively. That ended up making the Farmers short-handed for the final seven minutes of regulation. Neepawa was able to push back on Cartwright’s offensive effort, keeping them from finding that elusive goal. With just 33 seconds left in the third, Szucki scored his second of the night, off a chance on a breakaway.
With the win, the Farmers stay alive in the best-of-five series, but are still trailing two-games-to-one. Game four will be played in Cartwright on Saturday, Feb. 24. Should a fifth game be needed, it will go in Neepawa at the Yellowhead Arena at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25.
