By Jeff D'Andrea

Mintos get debut goals at key time in win over Contacts

Oct 18, 2018 | 9:17 PM

The Prince Albert Mintos were lifted by two debut goals as they beat the Saskatoon Contacts 7-3 Thursday night at the Art Hauser Centre. With the victory, the Mintos improved to 5-3 in thier Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League season. 

The Mintos broke a 3-3 tie 12 minutes into the third period after defenceman Jake Huska scored his first Midget AAA goal. Less than two minutes later, forward Blake Duquette also got his first AAA marker to extend the lead to 5-3.

Ethan Ironside scored an empty net goal to put the game out of reach, before Cohner Saleski scored his second goal of the game on a last-minute breakaway.

Mintos goaltender Spencer Welke picked up his third win of the year, stopping 28 saves on 31 shots. Two of the pucks that got past him were off the stick of Contacts sniper Riley Girod. Caleb Cherry had the other.

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Mintos forward Cohner Saleski had a two goals and an assist against his former Contacts side. He undressed the Contacts’ defence with a mesmerizing toe drag and backhanded finish in the first period. His second one was a nice tidy backhanded finish on a breakaway with 46.3 seconds left. Saleski also added the primary assist on Huska’s game winning goal. Saleski, who the Raiders drafted in the first round of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, now has five goals and a team-leading 10 points in seven games for the Mintos.

The Contacts also feature a pair of Raider prospects. Defenceman Adam McNutt, drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, had an assist on Thursday. He now has a goal and four points in eight games for the Contacts. Davin Griffin, drafted 100^th overall by the Raiders in 2017, has three assists so far this year.

And Raiders 2018 first rounder Nolan Allan just figured out for the first time what a Midget AAA defeat feels like this year. Allan’s Saskatoon Blazers lost their first game in regulation on Thursday, a 5-2 defeat to the Moose Jaw Generals on Thursday. Despite being a defenceman, Allan already has six goals and nine points in 10 games for the 8-1-1 Blazers.

Looking ahead

The Mintos play the Swift Current Legionnaires on Sunday, 1:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre for their next action.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW