Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

GRYZBOWSKI PERFECT AGAIN

By Craig Stein

BRUINS GET ON THE BOARD

Joel Gryzbowski made 30 saves to pick up his second straight shutout and third of these playoffs, leading the Battlefords North Stars to a second straight 1-0 win over the Yorkton Terriers on Tuesday, this time in regulation, giving the North Stars a 3-0 lead in their Best-of-Seven Semi-Final series.

Ryan Ouellette has been busier at the other end, and equally as impressive, as he made 40/41 saves in Game 3, and has stopped 81/83 shots (.976%) in his last two starts without any run support.

The North Stars put 19 shots on goal in the first period alone, and Brett Gammer was able to beat Ouellette at 14:23 at that was the only goal of the contest.

The Terriers had just 15 shots through 40 minutes but added 15 more in the third and Gryzbowski stopped them all, improving to 3-0, 0.63 GAA, .980%, 2 SO in the series.  In the playoffs as a whole, he’s 7-1-2, 1.52, .956%, 3 SO.

Game 4 goes Wednesday in Yorkton, with the Stars looking to punch their ticket to the Canalta Cup Final.

******

The Melfort Mustangs were unable to grab the same 3-0 stranglehold as the Stars, as the Estevan Bruins took care of business at home in Game 3, beating Melfort 3-2, cutting the Mustangs’ lead in that Semi-Final to 2-1.

The teams traded goals just 27 seconds apart in the first period as Turner Ripplinger scored short-handed for the Bruins before Zach Anderson scored on the same Mustangs’ powerplay.  Tanner Manz gave the Bruins the lead back before the end of the frame and they wouldn’t give it up again.

Tristyn DeRoose added some insurance in the second period with Melfort’s Colin Schmidt getting one back.  The teams skated to a scoreless third period.

Grant Boldt made 17/19 saves in the win while Noah Giesbrecht made 19/22 saves for Melfort in half a game, before Shawn Parkinson played the rest of the way, stopping all 14 shots he faced.

Game 4 goes Wednesday in Estevan, and the Bruins’ Game 3 win assures at least a Game 5 back in Melfort on Friday.

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