OKOTOKS, AB — The Whitby Warriors were able to stifle the potent Coquitlam Adanacs offence on Sunday night to win the 2011 Minto Cup with a 12-7 victory.

The Adanacs, who came into the tournament as defending champions, were heavy favourites to once again win but superb defence and goaltending from Whitby handed them just their third loss this year.

Whitby’s Mark Cockerton carried his club offensively on Sunday night. He potted four goals in the victory, pushing his tournament total to 10 tallies and 16 points. His teammate Mark Matthews, who ended his Minto Cup run with 23 points through four games, had three assists.

Whitby came out flying in the first period, scoring three times before the 10:00 mark. Kyle Lindsey, John LaFontaine and Cockerton’s tallies visibly agitated the Adanacs and that frustration aided the Warriors. Myan Adams was called for high-sticking at 11:34 and Shayne Jackson promptly added Whitby’s fourth goal of the evening. The Warriors continued to dominate until McIntosh was able to beat netminder Zack Higgins with just 23.7 seconds remaining in the period.

Coquitlam managed to get a handle on their offence in the second period but Whitby hung on to maintain a one goal lead after 40:00 of play. Cockerton led the charge for Whitby, scoring on both shots he put on net. He and Matthews were a threat every time they stepped on the floor, outworking the defence and utilizing their speed to get clear looks on net.

Higgins was a pillar of strength for Whitby early in the third stanza when Coquitlam sent shot after shot on net. After the Warriors were able to shore up their defence, their offence carried them the rest of the way. Cockerton, Dan Lintner, Ryan Serville and Chad Tutton all scored in the period while Coquitlam wasn’t able to find a way to beat Higgins.

OKOTOKS, AB — On Friday night, Coquitlam Adanacs head coach Curt Malawsky cautioned that while his team may have won the first of the best-of-three final series at the 2011 Minto Cup, it was going to be a war to the final buzzer and that prediction was dead-on during game two.

The Whitby Warriors hung on by a score of 5-4 to force a game three on Sunday evening. The Warriors were led by Mark Matthews, who scored the game winning goal along with two assists, and Dan Lintner, who potted two goals.

Like Friday’s tilt, the first period was played extremely tight by both squads. Space in the offensive zones was highly contested with players showing no hesitation to whack away at the opposition. The Warriors held a 3-2 over the Adanacs after 20:00 of play thanks to a two goal effort by Lintner and Emerson Clark, a left winger for the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals.

The second period was a low scoring affair, only seeing Coquitlam’s Jackson Decker and Whitby’s Curtis Knight finding the back of the net. While the Warriors held a slight edge in shots after two periods, the Adanacs had more quality scoring opportunities and the only reason they weren’t able to grab the lead was Warriors netminder Zack Higgins. He was outstanding and was poised under the pressure put on by Coquitlam.

The score remained 4-3 until 15:20 of the period when Casey Jackson evened the game up. However, the Warriors pressed on and Matthews was able to beat Coquitlam goalie Steve Fryer to make it 5-4 with just 3:26 remaining in regulation. Coquitlam tried to find the equalizer, firing shots on net until the final second but like the majority of the game, the defence was able to crowd shooting lanes and take away solid looks on net. When the Adanacs were able to get clear shots on net, Higgins stood his ground and held his team in the tournament.

The final game of the Minto Cup takes place on Sunday at 8:00 PM. The game is being broadcast on Shaw in Calgary and the surrounding areas and can be viewed via webcast on www.mintocup.ca

OKOTOKS, AB — The Coquitlam Adanacs defeated the Whitby Warriors 12-9 in the first game of the 2011 Minto Cup Finals, putting them one win away from back-to-back national championship titles.

Coquitlam’s Matthew Dinsdale notched a hat trick in the Adanacs win and ended the night with five points. Casey Jackson chipped in with six points – a goal and five helpers – while Travis Cornwall scored three times and had one assist.

The Warriors offence was led by Mark Matthews. He managed three goals and two assists and now has 12 goals and 24 points in the tournament.

The animosity between the two clubs became apparent the moment the ball was dropped. Whitby’s Adrian Sorichetti and Coquitlam’s Trent Hawke got into a shoving match in the opening two minutes, with Sorichetti receiving a roughing minor from the , and the physical escalated from there. Finding space in the offensive zone was a challenge for both teams thanks to well-played defence that wasn’t afraid to punish opponents any chance they got. After 20:00 of play, the Warriors held a 2-1 edge over the Adanacs thanks to tallies from Shayne Jackson and Casey Jackson.

It looked like it would be another tightly played period early on in the second frame but when Whitby netminder Alexis Buque took a 5:00 roughing penalty after hacking away at an Adanac after the whistle, the floodgates opened in Coquitlam’s favour. They scored twice on the ensuing power play and then added four more goals before Whitby answered back with two. Travis Cornwall scored with less than a minute left and the middle stanza ended with the Adanacs leading the Warriors by a score of 8-4.

Matthews opened the scoring in the third period and the goal seemed to boost the Warriors play. While the Adanacs answered back with two goals, the Warriors were undeterred and managed to score twice after Patrick O’Meara and Nathan Klein took slashing minors. With just three goals separating the two teams, Whitby pressed hard to even up the score but Coquitlam’s torrid offence were able to find the back of the net two more times before the final buzzer sounded.

Game two of the best-of-three series takes place on Saturday night at 8:00 PM MST. It can be viewed live on Shaw in Calgary and the surrounding areas and can be viewed online at www.mintocup.ca

For full game stats, please visit http://www.pointstreak.com//prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1658183

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OKOTOKS, AB — Despite seeing their overall play rebound from a 12-1 loss on Tuesday night, the Okotoks Raiders couldn’t muster enough offence to beat the Whitby Warriors at the Minto Cup semi-finals.

The Raiders fell 8-4 to the Warriors, eliminating them from the tournament.

After being held to a single goal in Tuesday’s game against the Coquitlam Adanacs, the Raiders were able to open the scoring in the semi-final tilt when Dustin Rekydal burst through the defence and was able to clear shot at goaltender Zack Higgins. The goal seemed to give the hosts a burst of confidence and they went on to score two more times in the frame, keeping themselves within a goal of the Warriors.

Okotoks continued their tight play in the second period, only allowing two goals and notching one. Holden Cattoni pushed his tournament points total to six with his second period marker while Jimmy Delaney and Travis Comeau added their second point of the night with their assists on the tally. Whitby’s Mark Cockerton potted both of the Warriors second period goals, giving him five in his four Minto Cup games.

Whitby struggled the push through the Okotoks defence in the third period and frustration began to settle in for visitors. Dan Lintner was called for interference around the 7:00 mark and his reaction to the call earned him a game misconduct. The Raiders were able to keep the Warriors at bay until 13:57 when Ryan Serville was able to snap a shot past goalie Adam Shute. From there, Whitby clamped down defensively, not allowing Okotoks any space in their zone and taking away any clear looks on net.

The Warriors will meet the Adanacs in the Minto Cup finals on Friday in a best-of-three series. The first game of the series takes place at 8:00 PM MST and is being broadcast live on Shaw as well as being available via webcast on MintoCup.ca.

OKOTOKS, AB — The defending Minto Cup champions, the Coquitlam Adanacs, have advanced to the finals after defeating the Okotoks Raiders 12-1.

The Adanacs showcased why they were favourites heading into the tournament in the landslide victory. They forced turnovers, rarely failed to make clean passes, created scrambles in the Raiders zone and their defence was air-tight.

Coquitlam kept Okotoks off the scoreboard in the first period and limited them to just 10 shots on net. The Adanacs used their speed effectively against the Raiders, consistently finding holes in their defence thanks to their quickness. Coquitlam was led by Jackson Decker, who scored twice in the frame, giving him and Travis Cornwall, who chipped in with a goal and an assist.

It look as if the Raiders had gotten themselves back in the game in the second period when Jake Hayes scored their first of the contest but Coquitlam quickly shut them down. The defence didn’t allow Okotoks any clear looks and the frustration started to settle in for the Raiders. Cam Copeland took his anger out by leveling a Adanac and was promptly handed a double minor for cross-checking. Coquitlam countered with two power play goals, giving the tournament leaders a 11-1 lead going into the third period.

Okotoks tightened up defensively in the final period but their offensive just couldn’t crack the Coquitlam netminder, Steve Fryer. The Adanacs’ Ben McIntosh scored late in the period. He now has eight goals and 13 points through three games in the tournament.

The Adanacs are back in action on Friday night at 8:00 PM, squaring off against the winner of the Raiders-Warriors semi-final game.

OKOTOKS, AB — The Whitby Warriors 19-3 rout on Tuesday evening has knocked the Edmonton Eclipse out of the 2011 Minto Cup.

Edmonton was outplayed in every area and could not find a solution to Whitby’s offensive power. Turnovers and incomplete passes killed off many potential scoring opportunities while defensive lapses led the Eclipse to one of the most lopsided losses in Minto Cup history.

The Warriors were powered by Mark Matthews and Curtis Knight. The duo combined for 16 points on the evening and despite their best efforts, the Edmonton defence could not get a handle on the pair. The Warriors ended up outshooting the Eclipse 76-35.

Whitby’s potent offence went straight to work, scoring eight times in the opening 20 minutes. Knight kicked off the scoring spree, notching the Warriors first two goals and ended the frame with four points. The Eclipse only managed one goal with Kirby Zdrill beating netminder Alexis Buque.

Edmonton’s offence once again failed to find the back of the net more than once in the second period. Dean Fairall scored his second of the tournament for the Eclipse while six different players scored for Whitby. Matthews led the charge offensively for the Warriors with three goals and three assists in the middle frame.

The Warriors continued their domination in the third period and held the Eclipse to just one goal in the last 20 minutes of play. Cole Sheen scored Edmonton’s lone goal in the frame, a shorthanded marker that pushes his points total to four during the tournament.

The Minto Cup semi-finals take place on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM.

The Okotoks Raiders squeaked out a 9-6 win over the Edmonton Eclipse on Sunday night, earning a split in the first two days of the 2011 Minto Cup.

The two teams are quite familiar with each other as they just battled for the provincial title. Okotoks defeated Edmonton 4-1 in the best-of-seven series and the tension from that series was still palatable. At one point, Okotoks goaltender Adam Shute was ran over and a pushing-and-shoving match broke out with every player on the turf. Carson Barton, Edmonton’s top scorer, was the only player penalized in the melee, sitting in the box for 5:00 after getting called for charging.

The first period was a tightly contested affair with both teams scoring twice. Jimmy Delaney and Travis Comeau found the back of the net for Okotoks but the Eclipse maintained their composure and battled back to even the score. Dean Fairall and Kirby Zdrill both notched their first goals of the tournament.

Edmonton kept up the attack in the second period, scoring four times and earning themselves a 6-5 lead going into the final frame. Eclipse transition Darren Bourret potted his first two goals of the tournament in the period and chipped in with gritty play that made him a threat every time he stepped off the bench.

The Raiders brushed off the middle stanza and struck quickly in the third. Holden Cattoni, who scored late in the second period to draw Okotoks within one, beat Edmonton netminder Mike Cunningham just 34 seconds into the period and then Tanner Newitt broke into the zone on a breakaway and scored the go-ahead goal. The Raiders defence clamped down after Newitt’s tally and handed the Eclipse their second loss in as many days.

The Minto Cup resumes on Tuesday with Edmonton facing Whitby at 5:00 PM MST and Okotoks playing the undefeated Coquitlam Adanacs at 8:00 PM MST.

For full game stats, please visit http://www.pointstreak.com//prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1664290

The Coquitlam Adanacs vaulted themselves into first place at the 2011 Minto Cup with a 14-8 victory over the Whitby Warriors.

The defending champions were led by Ben McIntosh and Casey Jackson who both scored three goals in the affair. Jackson ended the night six points and leads the tournament in points with 13 after his seven point effort on Saturday night that led the Adanacs to a 12-6 win over the Edmonton Eclipse.

The Adanacs held the edge in the first period, outscoring the Warriors 6-4. Whitby’s Mark Cockerton potted the first three Warrior goals, boosting his tournament total to four. The first fight of the Minto Cup broke out at 15:33 when Whitby’s Emerson Clark and Coquitlam’s Chancy Johnson dropped the gloves. The tilt incited more rough play that spilled over into the rest of the game. After the fighting majors were handed out, seven more penalties were given and both clubs pushed their physical game up a notch.

Whitby managed to get a better handle on Coquitlam’s offensive units in the second period but the Adanacs were able to retain their lead through 40 minutes of play thanks to goals scored by Casey Jackson, Tyler Garrison and Ben McIntosh. Mark Matthews scored the lone Whitby goal in the frame, giving him his fourth of the tournament.

Coquitlam kept pouring it on early in the third, beating goaltender Zack Higgins five times and absolutely stymieing the Whitby defence for the entire stanza. Shayne Jackson scored the only Warrior goal in the third period.

The Minto Cup will resume on Tuesday with Whitby playing Edmonton at 5:00 PM MST and Coquitlam facing off against Okotoks at 8:00 PM MST.

For full stats on tonight’s game, please visit http://www.pointstreak.com//prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1664289

In the first game of the tournament the Coquitlam Adanacs defeat the Edmonton Eclipse. The two team traded goals in the first period, with Coquitlam leading 3-2 after 1.

The Adanacs exploded at the start of the second, scoring 3 goals in the first three minutes. The Eclipse managed to get a hold of the situation, and closed the gap a bit towards the end of the second, and went in to the intermission down 8-5.

The third period was all Adanacs, once their tight inside game started clicking for them the opportunities came one after another, Eclipse goal tender Mike Cunningham was outstanding all game, and kept the score close. The Eclipse put up a good effort, but took too many penalties and made some unforced errors with the ball. Their short hand unit did an excellent job at killing the potent Adanac powerplay, but its tough to generate momentum when you are short so often.