Combines close out season on a high

“We’ve definitely improved game to game. I think we’ve really picked up our intensity.”

Both teams came into the night with 11 wins on the season but Meota now moves past the Silvertips and finishes the season with a 12-6 record.

The Combines also began the year with three straight losses, and have been playing many games of late with a short bench.

“We’re fighting the injury bug right now,” Combines defenceman Aaron Cadrin said. “We’re playing games with 10 and 11 and 12 guys. To pull out the big win tonoight with only 11 guys against one of the top teams in the league is good momentum for us moving forward.”

On Thursday, the score entering the third was 1-1. Shellbrook took the lead to start things off in the final frame.

But Meota didn’t take long to respond.

First Ryan McKay’s potted one home to knot things up at two and not long after Bo Gervais took advantage of an odd-man rush give the home side the lead.

“I had a 2-on-1 with Tatchell and I knew he was going to throw it to me,” Gervais said. “So I just skated with my head down to the net and their guy hit it, went off the goalie and I got a rebound and just banged it in. I kind of blacked out actually.

“It’s a pretty great feeling [to score a game-winner]. Words can’t really describe it.”

There are a few things that need to happen if this success is going to carry over into the playoffs for Meota.

First and foremost is health.

“We’ve got five or six guys injured,” Cadrin said. “We’ve got a couple guys on week-on, week-off jobs. We’ve just just got to get a crew out and get three full lines going into each game and I think we can skate with every team in this league.”

“Hopefully some guys can show up and we can keep some lines together,” Gervais added.

But it’s not just about showing up.

Tatchell said preparation and battling hard go a long way towards long-term playoff success.

“Being ready for the game, intensity every night, and just being ready to play,” he said.

After the loss, Shellbrook, drops to 11-5, but they play twice this weekend. On Friday they are in Spiritwood to take on the last place Timberwolves and on Sunday they close things out with a trip to Edam to take on the Three Stars.

After this weekend, first round playoff matchups will be determined.

Nathan.Kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @NathanKanter11

by Nathan Kanter

Combines close out season on a high

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