The Brandt Centre felt like a madhouse when the final buzzer sounded as the Regina Pats flooded the ice and embraced goaltender Max Paddock.
The 17-year old stole the show for the second time in a week against the Hamilton Bulldogs winning 4-2 on Friday at the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup semi-final.
Paddock’s performance earned him 1st star honours stopping 44 Bulldog shots with 21 of those taking place in the third period.
“It’s definently the best game I think I have played in my life especially on the stage it was on, it was a good day today.”
Regina jumped out to a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play thanks to a rebound goal from Austin Pratt who took advantage of an Emil Oksanen shot that was spat out by Hamilton goaltender Kaden Fulcher.
It was a crowning moment for Pratt who has been mainstay on the Pats checking line the entire tournament and was finally rewarded.
“I saw it was a three-on-two and I saw Brads look at me (Matt Bradley) so I opened up and he made a beautiful pass to Oksanen and I decided to go to the net and we worked off that pass from a pad all the time we are off and it happened to bounce perfectly and go in.”
Here is @WHLPats forward Cameron Hebig post game after Friday's 4-2 semi final victory over @BulldogsOHL @MCMemorialCup #CityOfPG #sports #MCMemorialCup #MMC100 pic.twitter.com/Uql8QxZmKG
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) May 26, 2018
In the second, both teams traded goals from Nicolas Mattinen (Hamilton) and Cameron Hebig (Regina) to keep the hosts in the driver seat at 2-1.
The Bulldogs cranked up the pressure early and often in the third only to be denied by the Pats defence and Paddock.
The turning point in the game was a Fulcher turnover inside the Bulldogs end, which ended up on the stick of Sam Steel who rifled it home on the empty-net.
.@BulldogsOHL goaltender Kaden Fulcher after Friday's 4-2 loss to @WHLPats in the @MCMemorialCup semi-final #CityOfPG #sports #MMC100 #MCMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/6ZkwMt1Ty4
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) May 26, 2018
Will Bitten replied for Hamilton 1:13 later to make it 3-2.
However, Jake Leschyshyn tapped in an empty-netter in the dying seconds for the Pats – sending the sold-out Brandt Centre crowd into a frenzy.
Sunday’s Memorial Cup Final goes at 4PM (PT) as the Acadie-Baturst Titan of the QMJHL will take on the Pats.
In the round robin, Regina fell 8-6 to the Titan.
Former Prince George Cougars Jesse Gabrielle and Jonas Harkins are members of the Pats.
Gabrielle hasn’t played in the tournament due to a foot injury while Harkins has been a healthy scratch in each game.