CAMROSE, AB - In an incredible effort through two games, the firth seed Augustana Vikings sweep the fourth seed SAIT Trojans with a 3-2 game two win, Saturday afternoon at Encana Arena.
With the win, the Vikings advance to the Semi-Final round and wait to see if they will play the second-seeded Concordia Thunder or the league-leading NAIT Ooks.
"This team just seems to be getting better and better each game, we finished the last three weeks of the season on a strong note and just rolled it into playoffs," said Vikings Head Coach Tim Green. "We believe and we are playing with confidence, and when you battle and play the right way, good things happen"
Meanwhile, the Trojans see their season come to an end in the first round.
Leading the Vikings in scoring on the afternoon were forwards Zack Cox, Gerrick Ripley, and Owen Lamb all with one goal each, while Cox also added an assist to his point total. Backstopping the team to victory was Rookie goaltender Daniel Moody with 47 saves on the night and 82 over the weekend.
"The guys just came together this weekend and we played two fully 6o minutes and had all 20 guys going," said Moody. "We had guys blocking shots, sacrificing their bodies. It was a whole team effort and I couldn't be more proud of this group right now."
Across the ice, the Trojan's goals were scored by Kurtis Rutledge and Carson Welke, while Trevor Martin had 16 saves in the loss.
Opening the scoring early, Cox shot found its way to the back of the net, putting the Vikings up by one just two minutes into the first period.
Adding to their tally mid-way through the second the Vikings found themselves with the dreaded two-goal lead, as Ripley netted goal number two.
Looking like they may make it through the second frame holding their visors scoreless, the Trojans Rutledge struck with 16 seconds left on the clock to cut the Viking's lead in half.
Wanting to keep their season alive, the Trojans kept control of the puck the majority of the third and final period, peppering Moody with 18 shots. However, it would not be enough as both teams would add another allowing the Vikings to take the win, 3-2 and the series.
"We are going to enjoy a day off tomorrow and then get back to work Monday, but overall we are just going to stick to our process," added Green. "Yes it's important to know what another team's tendencies are, but what's really important is that we stick to what makes us successful and go from there."
Looking ahead the Vikings will have to wait to see who they play next, depending on the RDP Kings and Briercrest Clippers series.