CHILLIWACK, B.C. — The Regina Pat Canadians are the Telus Cup male U18 AAA national champions.
Maddox Schultz scored the game-winning goal 28 seconds into overtime to give the Pat Canadians a 3-2 victory over the Chevaliers de Levis in the gold medal game on Sunday afternoon in Chilliwack, B.C.
The national title is the fifth for the Pat Canadians in 10 tournament appearances and first since 1999.
Here’s how the overtime winner looked and sounded:
Regina got off to a solid start and had the majority of pressure in the first nine minutes, including a couple of grade A scoring chances as the period progressed.
That momentum was briefly set aside when the Pat Canadians’ Cash Lanigan was hit with a double minor for cross checking a Chevaliers player during a scrum in the Levis zone at the 9:11 mark.
Regina would hold the fort, though, and would kill off both double minors while limiting Levis opportunities to keep the game scoreless. Forward Cruz Klapak was a big part of that success, as his hard work in the zone midway through the kill helped take a bunch of time off the clock and gave the Chevaliers fits as they tried to set up.
After some good pressure in the Levis zone, Jonah Sivertson took a feed in close from Maddox Schultz and put a shot home for a 1-0 Pat Canadians lead with 2:50 to play in the period.
The Chevaliers got that one back before the period was out. Alex Desruisseaux found Malyk Cote breaking down his wing into the Regina zone, and his shot from the top of the crease would make it 1-1 with 1:35 remaining in the first.
Regina goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk had to be sharp to start the second period as the Chevaliers had a handful of opportunities to take the lead, and he’d make a handful of big saves to keep things tied.
A spot of bad luck for the veteran goaltender would lead to Levis second goal, though. After making a save in close, the puck would pop out of his glove and go right to Felix Grenier, and Tabashniuk would be unable to scramble back into position as Grenier scored on a wraparound.
The goal came with 3:47 gone in the second.
Four minutes later, Regina would get the job done.
Some great puck work in the Chevaliers zone by Schultz and Sivertson set up captain Logan Mehl wide open in the left face-off circle, and he’d rip a shot top shelf glove side to tie the game 2-2 with 1:09 remaining in the frame.
Both teams had great chances to take the lead in the first five minutes of the third, but both Tabashniuk and Proulx would make five-alarm saves to preserve the tie.
The rest of the period would solve nothing — despite a near goal from Lanigan in the final minute of regulation that trickled through the crease — and the game was off to overtime.
That set the stage for Schultz and the biggest goal of his career.
The 15-year-old phenom found a ton of open ice, evaded Chevaliers defender in the left face-off circle and went in alone on Proulx, rifling home a shot low glove side for the 3-2 victory.
To the surprise of no one, Schultz was named the tournament’s top forward, while Eli Johnson took top defenceman honours.
Tabashniuk was the Regina player of the game after finishing with 19 saves. Proulx stopped 14 shots.
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