The local squad picked up a 13-9 win over the Regina Ice and defeated the Saskatoon Seals 9-7 in round robin action to advance to the gold medal game, when they’d drop a 6-2 decision to the Regina Snipers.
Snipers 6, Mustangs 2
The championship final was as close as could be though the first two periods, with Regina nursing a 3-2 lead.
The Snipers were able to find another gear in the final frame, though, scoring three unanswered goals in less than two minutes early in the period to secure the victory.
Porter Crossman -- who hails from Estevan and was picked up for the tournament -- scored both goals for Moose Jaw. Nash Williams and Brodyn Pladson each had assists.
Mustangs 9, Seals 7
Things were just as close through two periods in the Mustangs’ second round robin game, this time with Saskatoon holding a 5-4 lead through two periods.
That all changed in the third, though, as shortly after the Seals went ahead 7-5 with 5:45 remaining, the Mustangs would score four straight goals, including a shorthanded go-ahead marker from Estevan’s Hunter Wagstaff with 54 seconds to play. Colton Flanagan added an insurance marker with 15 seconds remaining.
Pladson finished the game with four goals, while Flanagan had a goal and two assists. Brody Hutchinson, Roman Markin and Mykenzie Shymko also scored for Moose Jaw, Ryder Gilroy had two assists.
Mustangs 13, Ice 9
The tournament opener followed much the same pattern as their later game: clinging to a 9-8 lead in a back-and-forth battle with 5:27 remaining, the Mustangs scored four goals in 42 seconds to take control of the contest.
Lachlan Clark led the way for the Mustangs with four goals and five points; Gilroy had two goals and three assists to go along with a goal and four assists from Pladson. Williams had a pair of markers, Crossman, Wagstaff, Chase McKee and Cooper Bruce their other goals.
Pladson finished third in tournament scoring with five goals and 10 points and was named a tournament all star.
