Gophers, Sabres to battle for hockey crown

The Steinbach Sabres and Garden City Gophers will meet in the Manitoba AAAA high school boys championship game Monday at the hockey for all centre.

Game time is 6:30 p.m.

Garden City defeated the Westwood Warriors 2-1 in double-overtime Sunday afternoon in one semifinal, while the Sabres dumped the St. Paul’s Crusaders 4-3 in the other.

The Gophers are the province’s top-ranked squad, capturing the Winnipeg High School Hockey League’s premier division title earlier this month.

Garden City defenceman Nixon Carriere scored the game-winner at the 2:52 of the second four-on-four, 10-minute OT session, taking a pass from Colson Smith and beating Warriors goalie Nigel Taylor.

Smith set up both goals for the winners.

Taylor was sensational in a losing effort, stopping 42 shots including a dozen in extra time.

Westwood’s Tristen Arnason and Lucas Desousa of Garden City traded third-period goals.

Nick Pochinco made 36 saves between the pipes for the Gophers.

Meanwhile, No.4-ranked Steinbach, built period leads of 3-0 and 4-1 and held on to upset the second-ranked Crusaders, the defending provincial champions.

Theoren Koop and Colton Wiebe each had a goal and an assist for Steinbach, while Dominic Rooney and Drew Heide also scored. Sabres netminder Will MacDonald 30 saves.

Troy Boughton and Porter Holland fired third-period goals to close the gap for St. Paul’s. Noah Friesen registered a second-period tally.

Marc Samyn and Ron Cailo split the goalie duties for the Crusaders, facing a combined 24 shots.

— staff