The Selkirk Steelers had an improving week that culminated in a significant win against the Swan Valley Stampeders on Saturday. Earlier in the week, the Steelers suffered a 4-1 defeat on the road to the Steinbach Pistons, where they conceded three goals in the second period. Dawson Dear scored Selkirk’s only goal, while Noel Olsonawski faced 34 shots, saving 31 of them.
The Steelers then shifted to their weekend slate with the Portage Terriers at home Friday night.
After falling behind 2-0, the Steelers fought back with goals from Remy Hlady and Owen Warnick, forcing the game into overtime. Unfortunately for Selkirk, Portage forward Scott Cousins scored just 10 seconds into overtime, denying the Steelers a comeback and an extra point.
Head coach Hudson Friesen noted that the overtime loss spurred the team to push even harder the next night, and they responded with a 4-2 win over the Swan Valley Stampeders on Saturday night at home. After trailing 2-1, the Steelers scored three unanswered goals to complete the comeback. Landon Jamieson, Griffin Krone, Rohan Guevarra, and Owen Warnick all found the back of the net, while Ethan Sawyer made an impressive 49 saves out of 51 shots to lead the Steelers to their first win since Jan. 12.
“We took a lot of big strides this weekend in where we want to get to,” said Friesen. “We struggled to score at five-on-five a bit in the previous games and it kind of let into Friday a bit. We had our chances and looks and unfortunately we weren’t able to put them away and it went into overtime and ended quick. It was disappointing because we played well defensively and physically and were emotionally engaged so it was definitely a heartbreaker but the boys used it as motivation for Saturday. The scoring took a bit to come to fruition but the third period, once we got that second goal we never looked back and I think we played extremely well in all six periods over the weekend.”
Had it not been for Sawyer’s outstanding performance, recording 49 saves, the Steelers might have felt much differently heading into a six-day break. Saturday’s win could be considered the best of the rookie netminder’s 13-game season. While they will continue to rely on veteran Noel Olsonawski for much of the remaining 18 games, Sawyer’s standout performances will be crucial for the Steelers’ playoff push. They currently hold a record of 21-16-2-1, totaling 45 points, which puts them six points behind the Niverville Nighthawks for the final playoff spot in the MGEU East Division.
“We have a lot of trust in him and if he’s getting a start our team has confidence in him and the way we play,” said Friesen. “He was extremely focused (on Saturday). Rebound control was good, he competed all night, and at times if we needed a save he came up big so he stepped up big for us. The games he’s going to play down the stretch for us, we have a ton of confidence he’s going to go in and do the job.”
The Steelers will now have a break until Saturday due to the MJHL-SJHL Showcase taking place at the Seven Oaks Sportsplex this week. Selkirk has six representatives on two of the three MJHL All-Star teams that will compete against teams from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Remy Hlady, Owen Warnick, and Rohan Guevarra will play for Team MJHL 18U White, while Luke McCarthy, Wyatt Witham, and Owen Johnston will represent Team MJHL 20U Black. Team MJHL 18U White will play on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 5 p.m. against Team SJHL 18U Blue. Team MJHL 20U Black will take the ice on Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Team SJHL 20U White and on Wednesday at 11 a.m. against Team SJHL 20U Gold.
Upcoming Games:
Saturday, Feb. 1 vs Waywayseecappo Wolverines, 7:30 p.m. at Selkirk Recreation Complex
