Swift Current's Jace Egland (pictured) had the overtime winning goal during Thursday's SMAAAHL playoff matchup, forcing an all-important game five and keeping the Legionnaires season alive. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

heartbreaker in extras

Legionnaires force series deciding Game 5 with overtime win over Mintos

Mar 7, 2024 | 11:16 PM

Jace Egland kept Swift Current’s season alive on Thursday night, playing the role of overtime hero to help the Legionnaires topple the Prince Albert Mintos 3-2 at the Art Hauser Centre.

The win was a must for Swift Current as their season hung in the balance with P.A. leading the first-round best of five series 2-1 entering Thursday. The Mintos also won the first two games of the series before the Legionnaires rallied to tie it up and force a win or go home game five.

Prince Albert assistant coach Bryan Swystun shared his thoughts following the deflating loss, saying it’s a tough pill to swallow and that the team now gets a much-needed couple days to reevaluate and recharge.

“I thought in stretches we played well. We had opportunities [and] we didn’t capitalize and in the end, we could’ve put the game out of reach and we couldn’t do it. It came back to haunt us.”

“It’s been a long week,” he continued. “We need some rest – we’re tired, they’re tired… it’s been a grueling series and lots of travel for both teams. We need to regroup, get some rest – anything can happen in the final game. We don’t mind going back down there to play so we’ll hopefully be okay.”

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The Mintos ended the game 0/5 on the man advantage while Swift Current was 1/3 with the only powerplay tally being Egland’s overtime winner.

Also finding the back of the net for the Legionnaires was Kade Stringer and Jackson Fox while Parker Rondeau had two assists and Fox, Will Kirwan, and Kayd Ruedig each had one.

For the Mintos, Taite Donkin and Kelan Simmonds were the goal getters while Owen Nelson, Kale Margolis, Will Whitter, and Van Taylor collected the helpers.

In goal for Swift Current was Berney Weston who made 29 saves for the win. Opposite him was Brady Holtvogt for P.A. who turned aside 33 shots.

COMPLETE BOX SCORE

The Legionnaires landed the first punch early in the opening period off the tape of their leading goal scorer in the postseason. Rondeau got the puck in the corner and managed to get in front of the goal before he sent a cross crease pass to Stringer who taped home his fourth of the playoffs to break the ice.

The lead wouldn’t last long though as the Mintos tied it just over three minutes later. As the man advantage was expiring, Donkin got the puck at the blueline and rocketed a shot at the net that went post and in for his first career playoff marker. With less than four minutes to play in the frame, the Mintos offence cashed in again courtesy of Simmonds to help Prince Albert head into the second with a 2-1 lead.

Following a scoreless middle period, the action continued in the third and late in the frame at that with the Legionnaires managing to pull themselves back to even with 4:30 to go. Kirwan’s shot was initially stopped, but Fox was on the doorstep to clean up the loose puck to make it two-all and force overtime.

There, it was Swift Current who would find the back of the net first as an offensive rush saw Egland skate in with the puck and fire it at the goal. The puck bounced around in the sea of bodies in front before leaping over the pad of Holtvogt as the Legionnaires lived to see another day.

The series will come to an end on Sunday afternoon in a do-or-die fifth game when the Mintos travel to Swift Current for a 4:15 puck drop.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com