Klippers goaltender Justen Close was named this year’s SJHL goaltender of the year.
Clarion staff
The Kindersley Klippers had a solid week on the road, defeating the La Ronge Ice Wolves in their latest game Thursday 6-1. They also defeated the Melfort Mustangs 7-6 in a shootout Wednesday. Tuesday, at the start of their week, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the league-leading Nipawin Hawks.
“It was a tough loss in Nipawin, but I thought it was also the best game that we played during the week,” said coach Geoff Grimwood, “In Melfort, it was a very different game for us. We’re not used to that many goals being scored, but it was okay. The two best goalies in the league were out there playing and I am not sure what happened, maybe it was a full moon out there.”
There were eight goals sored in the first period of that game and Kindersley was up 5-3 after the opening frame.
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The Klippers then played La Ronge to close out the week and Grimwood said they expected to win and the team did just that.
The team was scheduled to play last night at home against the Battlefords North Stars, before closing out the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season on Thursday against the Stars.
The Klippers, entering the week, were in sixth place overall in the league, with a record of 28-21-4-3 for 63 points with 56 games played. Close behind them were the Weyburn Red Wings, the only team that could catch them, with 62 points in 57 games. Weyburn was scheduled to be in Yorkton Friday night, the final game of the regular season.
Coach Grimwood says that he hopes to have Josh Fletcher back in the lineup this week after missing a game last week and Noah Turanski should also be back in the lineup this week.
In Thursday’s tilt, Brody Ryber and Eddie May found the back of the net, to go up 2-0 after one period of play. Bryson Cecconi would add another in the second to make it 3-0 after 40 minutes.
In the third, Tanner Thompson, Curtis Peck and Cecconi would score the final goal of the game, to make it 6-1. The Klippers outshot the Ice Wolves in this one 50-27, including a 22-4 difference in the first period alone.
In Wednesday’s win, the two teams started off by scoring eight goals in the first period alone, and when the dust settled, they had a 5-3 lead after 20 minutes of play. Klipper goals were scored by Devon Cyr, Keillan Olson, Nik Malenica, Cameron Shorrock and Eddie May.
The Mustangs would make it 5-4 in the second, and in the third they were able to tie it up to send it into overtime. Cole Plotnikoff would score for the Klippers.
After the overtime decided nothing, Olson and Plotnikoff would score to put the game away. Shots were 38-28 in favour of the Klippers.
In the opening game of the road trip, Malenica scored the Klippers lone goal with just over a minute remaining in the period. The Hawks would claw back though, with one in the second and three in the third to get the win. The Klippers outshot the hawks 42-31 in this tilt.
SJHL goaltender of the year
Justen Close has had an incredible season and was recognized for his efforts by winning the league’s goaltender of the year award, announced at the team’s awards’ banquet Saturday.
“It’s always nice to be recognized. To be honest, I missed the announcement that was during the opening part of the awards,” he said. “It kind of caught me off guard and I just came in to hear the last part of it and then everyone started cheering.”
Close is a humble guy.
“The team has played pretty well this season, especially after Christmas. We had a really good February,” he said. “We just have to keep going out there and doing our best.
“As for me, I just have to keep working hard and giving our team a chance to win and I hope I’ve done that and hope to continue to do so,” he added.
Grimwood said that it’s a big honour.
“It’s a very big award,” he said. “It is voted on by the coaches in the league. It is well deserved and great for him to be recognized.”
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