The Jamestown Blue Jays rode a sizzling goalie and a fair hotter energy play to their first West Area boys’ hockey championship in 27 years on Saturday on the VFW Sports activities Middle in Bismarck.
Jamestown goalie Brode Hillstrom made 23 saves and notched his second shutout in three video games as Jamestown beat Legacy 3-0. In doing so, the Blue Jays captured their first area title since 1995 and stopped a streak of 14 straight area titles by both Century or Bismarck Excessive.
Sarcastically, many Legacy gamers have been on the BHS and CHS rosters in earlier years however now are a part of the first-year program at Legacy. They’re going on to state for the primary time with Jamestown, Minot and Mandan whereas CHS is staying dwelling for the primary time in 16 years. Legacy contributed to that with a 4-1 win over the Patriots within the first spherical.
The Sabers rolled previous Bottineau-Rugby earlier than working right into a Blue Jay buzz noticed that dominated each ends of the ice.
Joe Cummings and Hunter Nelson netted power-play targets and Michael Mahoney completed off the Sabers with an even-strength tally late within the third interval. The Blue Jays scored eight power-play targets within the three video games.
“Clearly particular groups have been an enormous issue,” Legacy coach Mario Lamoureux stated. “We knew that they had an excellent energy play and so they capitalized on it. We simply didn’t capitalize on particular groups.”
Alternatively, Jamestown coach and West Area coach of the yr Matt Stockert praised his workforce’s particular groups.
“There’s all the time adversity in a hockey recreation,” Stockert stated. “To kill off a five-minute main together with a two-minute minor … The most effective penalty killer on the market was Brode Hillstrom and you may’t ask for something higher than that.”
Hillstrom stopped 46 of 47 photographs within the match.
Jamestown has outscored its opponents 117-38 this season.
“Jamestown did an excellent job eliminating us from attending to their internet,” Lamoureux stated.
The Jays utilized the strain from the puck drop. They put 34 photographs on Legacy goalie Tyler Miller, together with 12 within the first interval.
With Legacy skating a person down, Cummings ripped a shot from the highest of the left circle excessive into the web for a 1-0 lead at 15:56 of the primary interval.
Each groups had alternatives on the facility play within the second. The Sabers couldn’t make the most of a pair of penalties, together with a five-minute main and two-minute minor that gave them a 5-on-3 benefit for 1:33.
Nelson made it 2-0 with a shot from Miller’s proper at 8:21.
With 6:15 left within the interval, Lucas Vasey clanged a shot off the pipe to return as shut because the Sabers would get to scoring.
Legacy then had its personal 5-on-3 for 2 minutes and got here near getting on the board till a streaking Marcus Butts had a centering go leap over his stick proper in entrance of Hillstrom.
As an alternative of taking part in defensive hockey within the third, the Jays continued to assault and scored at 12:44 when Mahoney camped simply outdoors the aim crease, took a feed from Brooks Roaldson and put it underneath Miller.
Had Legacy made all of its photographs on aim within the third interval (2), it will solely have tied the sport earlier than Mahoney’s aim.
“It’s like a Cinderella story to be trustworthy with you,” Stockert added. “It’s a bunch of youngsters in entrance of him that don’t wish to enable pucks to get to the nest. When you’ve got that perspective, it’s a fairly simple recipe for fulfillment.”
Stockert stated he couldn’t say he was extra happy along with his offense or protection. “Each,” he stated. “We will put them in fast, however if you happen to don’t maintain your personal finish, dangerous issues can occur fairly fast.”
Lamoureux, in the meantime, stated the Sabers can take satisfaction in what they’ve already achieved.
“Clearly it’s a recreation you wish to win. However we’re happy with this group,” Lamoureux stated. “We’ve come a good distance and we’re going to state and that’s the place we wished to get to.”
West Area championship recreation
Jamestown 3, Legacy 0
Legacy;0;0;0;–;0
Jamestown;1;1;1;–;3
First interval: 1. Jamestown, Joe Cummings (Conner McLachlan, Nolan Nenow, 15:56 (pp).
Second interval: 2. Jamestown, Hunter Nelson (Brooks Roaldson), 8:21 (pp).
Third interval: 3. Jamestown, Michael Mahoney (Zachary Lunde), 12:44.
Goaltender saves: Legacy – Tyler Miller 31. Jamestown – Brode Hillstrom 23.
Penalties: Legacy 6 minors, 1 main. Jamestown 3 minors, 1 main.
Information: Legacy 11-10-2-1, Jamestown 19-4-1-0.
State qualifiers
Minot 3, Bismarck 0
Minot;1;0;2;–;3
Bismarck;0;0;0;–;0
First interval: 1. Min, Brock Jones (Jaxon Bradley, Jaxson Radke), 10:47, (pp).
Second interval: No scoring.
Third interval: 2. Min, Jayden Luck (Jones, Ben Svangstu), 4:44. 3. Min, Luck (unassisted), 15:25.
Goaltender saves: Min – Noah Conklin 10. Bis – Carter Schafer 20.
Penalties: Min – 3 for six minutes. Bis – 5 for 10 minutes.
Mandan 5, Williston 2
Williston;0;0;2;–;2
Mandan;0;4;1;–;5
First interval: No scoring.
Second interval: 1. Man, Brady Helbling (Trinity Anderson), 1:12. 2. Man, Matthew Haider (Kyyan Jahner, Carter Kilen), 6:17. 3. Man, Tate Olson (Anderson, Dalton Fleck), 7:56, (pp). 4. Man, Anderson (Rylan Bechtel, Preston McElvaney), 8:52.
Third interval: 5. Will, Aston Collings (unassisted), 2:03. 6. Will, Riley Erickson (Chase Collings, A.Collings), 7:32. 7. Man, Kilen (unassisted), 15:11, (en).
Goaltender saves: Will – Mason Haugenoe 17. Man – Bennett Leingang 31.
Penalties: Will – 6 for 12 minutes. Man – 1 for two minutes.