2007 National U18 Club Championship

MINTOS GET SCARE IN WIN OVER MAPLE LEAFS

The Prince Albert Mintos remained perfect at the 2007 TELUS Cup, but just barely, after a tight 3-2 win over the St. John’s Maple Leafs on Wednesday afternoon at Red Deer Arena. The loss dropped the Atlantic Region champions to 0-3.

Brandon Herrod scored the winner for the Mintos midway through the final period, firing a shot short-side past Maple Leafs goaltender Kyle Downer, who made 29 saves in a losing cause.

Although Prince Albert came away with the win and ran their winning streak at the National Midget Championship to 10 games, dating back to 2006, head coach Tim Leonard says he has yet to see the best from his team at this year’s tournament.

“We sure want to live on the edge it seems,” Leonard said following the game. “We’re just not ourselves here, and we’re going to have to figure it out pretty quick. We’re 3-0, but we’re not happy with the way we’ve played.”

Travis Statchuk opened the scoring for Prince Albert, converting a beautiful set-up from Player of the Game Tyler Fiddler just past the midway point of the opening 20 minutes.

The lead as stretched to 2-0 early in the second period after Brennan Wrigley redirected a Tommy Brown shot past Downer. Brown’s shot was going well wide, but Wrigley was able to get the shaft of his stick on the puck.

Vincent Paiement got the Maple Leafs on the board three minutes after Wrigley’s marker, picking the top corner over the glove of Mintos goaltender Jordan Washburn, who stopped 23 shots.

Chad Earle, who was named his team’s Player of the Game, tied it for St. John’s early in the final period before Herrod got the winner for the West Region champions.

The Mintos face their biggest test yet on Thursday night, when they face the host Red Deer Optimist Rebels, while the Maple Leafs travel to Olds, AB on Thursday to face the Sault Ste. Marie North Stars.

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PREVIEW: MINTOS LOOK TO STAY UNDEFEATED AGAINST MAPLE LEAFS

The Prince Albert Mintos look to remain undefeated, while the St. John’s Maple Leafs search for their first win when the two teams clash at the 2007 TELUS Cup on Wednesday afternoon in Red Deer, AB.

The defending national champions ran their winning streak to nine games at the National Midget Championship with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over the Séminaire Saint-François Blizzard on Tuesday night in Carstairs, AB. The Mintos went 7-0 in winning the 2006 title in Charlottetown, PE.

Carsen Chubak proved why he was one of the top-rated goaltenders in the country in the regular season, turning aside 30 shots in the first 40 minutes to give his team a chance to come back against the Blizzard. He picked up Player of the Game honours following a 34-save performance.

The Maple Leafs are coming off a disappointing 10-0 loss to the host Red Deer Optimist Rebels on Tuesday, a game in which they were outshot 23-4 in the opening 20 minutes, and 49-15 overall.

The Atlantic Region champions will need to find the offense that scored 252 goals in just 30 games in the Newfoundland & Labrador Midget AAA Hockey League, as another loss will all but end any chances of advancing to the semi-finals.

No team has ever repeated as national champions, but if the Mintos’ start is any indication, they have as good a shot as any to become the first.