RECAP: Pats down Bulldogs to advance to Mastercard Memorial Cup Final

The Regina Pats have advanced to the Championship Final at the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup thanks to a 4-2 win over the OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday night. Regina opened the scoring in the first when Austin Pratt banged home a rebound for his first at 5:22 and it was 1-0 after one. The Bulldogs tied it at the 7:35 of the second period but Regina reinstated the lead when Cameron Hebig ripped one from the slot for his fourth and it was 2-1 after 40 minutes. In the third, Sam Steel gave the Pats some insurance with his second at the 14:05 mark, but 1:13 later Will Bitten drew Hamilton to within a goal at 3-2. The Pats held on and Jake Leschyshyn scored an empty netter with five seconds left to win 4-2. Sam Steel led the offence with a goal and an assist while Max Paddock made 44 saves. Regina will take on Acadie-Bathurst in Sunday’s final at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at mastercardmemorialcup.ca.

Scoring Summary
First Period
Regina – Austin Pratt (1) from Emil Oksanen and Matt Bradley – 5:22.

Second Period
Hamilton – Nicolas Mattinen (1) from Benjamin Gleason and Brandon Saigeon – 7:35.
Regina – Cameron Hebig (4) from Josh Mahura – 11:00.

Third Period
Regina – Sam Steel (2) unassisted – 14:05.
Hamilton – Will Bitten (1) from Benjamin Gleason – 15:18.
Regina – Jake Leschyshyn (1) from Sam Steel – 19:55 EN.

Shots on Goal
Regina 11-8-5-(24)    Hamilton 10-15-22-(46)

Powerplays
Regina 0/3      Hamilton 0/4

Quick Hits
– Sam Steel is up to 13 points in four games which leads the Memorial Cup.
– Max Paddock stopped 75 of 79 shots in two games against Hamilton at the Memorial Cup.
– Austin Pratt’s first period goal was his first in a Pats uniform.

 What’s Next
The Regina Pats will take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup Final on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. Tickets are available at mastercardmemorialcup.ca.