Round two of the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League playoffs got underway Monday in Oakbank. Sam Sass scored twice including the tying goal with one second left in the second period and Nathan Bartecki potted the go-ahead marker with 1:25 remaining in regulation as the Springfield Xtreme shaded the Lorette Comets 4-3 in game one of their best-of-seven semifinal. Ben Chambers had the other Xtreme goal. Tyler Van de Velde, Matt Ramsey and Owen Lambert replied for the Comets who led 3-1 after the first period. 


The Steinbach Pistons scored three times in the second period and added three more in the third en route to a 7-2 victory over the Winkler Flyers at the HyLife Centre in La Broquerie. David Cote, Samuel Noad, Kirk Mullen, Connor Paronuzzi, Grady Hoffman, Leo Chambers and Hunter Degelman did the goal scoring for the defending Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions. Steinbach scored twice on the power play and once shorthanded. The East Division leading Pistons extended their lead over the second place Flyers six points. Niverville gave up four first period goals and fell 8-2 to the Portage Terriers at Stride Place. Nathan Brown and Kaycee Coyle scored for the Nighthawks who have dropped four straight since parting ways with head coach and general manager Kelvin Cech on February 12th. Selkirk lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Winnipeg Blues. The Steelers are three points back of Niverville in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. 


The Steinbach Pistons, Winkler Flyers and Virden Oil Capitals remain in the top half of the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s weekly Top 20 rankings. The MJHL's East Division leading Pistons remain at number three. The Flyers stay at number five while the West Division leading Oil Capitals dropped from number seven to eight. The Portage Terriers received honourable mention. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Flin Flon Bombers are the number one ranked team in the country for the 15th week in a row.


The Brandon Wheat Kings fell 5-2 to the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference leading Saskatoon Blades at Westoba Place. Brady Turko and Jaxon Jacobson scored for the Wheat Kings. Alexander Suzdalev had two goals and an assist for the Blades. 


The Winnipeg Jets dropped a 6-3 decision to the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Sean Monahan had a hat trick for the Jets. Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who made 28 saves, allowed more than three goals for the first time since November 2nd. 


The Manitoba Moose lost 4-3 to the Milwaukee Admirals. Parker Ford, Kristian Reichel and Simon Lundmark did the goal scoring for the Moose.  


Gabbie Hughes scored twice as Ottawa downed Boston 4-2 in the lone Professional Women's Hockey League game. 


Randy Neufeld of La Salle and Karen Fallis of Fort Rouge captured the Provincial Masters Curling Championships in Portage. Neufeld, Dean Moxham, Peter Nicholls and Darren Oryniak defeated Murray Warren of Brandon 5-4 in the men's final. Fallis, Maureen Bonar, Lynn Fallis-Kurz and Laurie Elwood downed Judy Colwell of East St. Paul 7-4 in the women's final. The Canadian Masters championships will be held in Chicoutimi, Quebec in early April. 


Colton Lott and Kadriana Lott of Winnipeg Beach blanked James Kirkness and Darcy Robertson of Assiniboine Memorial 7-0 in the final of the Provincial Mixed Doubles Championship at the Beausejour Curling Club. The Canadian championships will be held in Fredericton in mid-March.

curling_2023Provincial Mixed Doubles champions Colton & Kadriana Lott

The Provincial Mixed Doubles Curling Championship wrapped up Monday in Beausejour. 2024 champions Colton Lott & Kadriana Lott will join Clayton Dreger on This Week in Curling which airs Tuesdays at 5:15 p.m. on AM 1250 Radio.