Ice Wolves end season with win
Photo courtesy of Daniel Despins Photography
The La Ronge Ice Wolves ended the 2023-24 season with a 2-1 shootout win Saturday afternoon at home against the Melfort Mustangs.
“I’m happy that these guys get to have this moment,” said Ice Wolves Asst. Coach Kyle Schneider.
Tye Evans opened the scoring for Melfort 1:21 into the game when he banged a rebound past Topher Chirico, who made 29 saves for the win.
Neither team found the back of the net in the second period, but Will Forsberg tied the game at one 3:28 into the third stanza when he beat Kristian Coombs, who turned away 28 shots in the loss.
Regulation and overtime solved nothing, so a shootout was required. Mason Bueckert and Jacob Hufty both tallied in the skills competition for La Ronge, which was enough to secure the extra point.
“Great job by Topher in net, giving us a chance to win today,” said Schneider. “In the second half, he gave us a chance to win most nights. I love his compete level, it’s unbelievable.”
With the win, the Ice Wolves finished their campaign with a 16-35-5 record, which had them ranked 11th in the SJHL standings.
Meantime, the Ice Wolves will now prepare for their spring camp in Aberdeen, SK at the end of the month.