After a shootout between the two young gun teams, and a barnburner in the mid-day game, the pressure was on for the last two teams at the SJHL/MJHL Showcase to put on a display of hockey prowess for the fans in Regina. Team Belfour from the MJHL and Team Kunitz from the SJHL delivered, as the SJHL skated to their second win of the day with a 3-1 final.

Neither team was able to score in the first period, as Jeremy Link from the Winnipeg Blues and Justen Close from the Kindersley Klippers kept the puck out of their respective nets. It would change in the second period, as Kink would face 21 shots in the middle frame.

Tema Kunitz would finally get the puck past Link with just over six minutes left in the second. Calvon Boots from the Flin Flon Bombers broke the deadlock, with Brayden Camrud from the Humboldt Broncos and Donovan Houle-Villeneuve from the Flin Flon Bombers assisting on the goal.

The SJHL team would then add to the lead with 2:02 remaining in the period when Humboldt’s Michael Clarke scored his first of the even. His power play goal was assisted by Matthias Urbanski from the Battlefords North Stars.

In the third period, the MJHL broke up the shutout bid for Close, when an odd-angled shot from Ben Dalke, who plays with the Virden Oil Capitals, beat him on the short side.

The two-goal advantage would be restored by Team Kunitz in the dying moments of the game. Caleb Moretz from the Flin Flon Bombers scored on Link, assisted by Cody Spagrud from the Battlefords and Nate Hooper from Flin Flon.

With the 3-1 final, the SJHL took two of the three games from the opening day, setting a similar pace to what they did in 2018 when the SJHL won five of the six games between the two games at the Showcase.

Team Kunitz will now take on Team Zajac Tuesday, while Team Belfour skates against Team Mitchell on the final day.