Apr 8/08 - Amazing Season Comes To An End
Saints 2 Terriers 5 Game Summary
Down three games to one and their season on the line, the Saints looked for some heroics from a rookie goaltender making his first MJHL playoff start.

As Jordan Dreger led the team onto the ice for game five, the noise at the Civic Centre was deafening. Following a pregame presentation of an autographed jersey to the Saints official "7th Man", eight year old Saints fanatic Mitchell Kummen, the team came out strong but couldn't get one by the Terriers netminder McHale. Portage opened the scoring on the powerplay when Mike Audino had a few whacks at the puck in the crease, finally putting it in. The Terriers extended their lead a minute and a half later when Miller's shot from the point was redirected, giving Portage a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Getting their first powerplay of the night, the Saints capitalized with Macaulay's 3rd of the playoffs at 8:22 to cut the deficit to 2-1. The remainder of the period basically saw the Saints penalty killing units get a workout as they were whistled for four more infractions. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect.", and the Saints held off the Terriers and the score remained at 2-1 with a period still to play.

Finally being able to play 5-on-5, the Saints tied it up on a shot from the stick of Mistelbacher 1:34 in. But once again down a man, the Saints fell behind 3-2 on a wraparound by the Terriers Nixdorf. Portage made it a two goal spread on Moore's goal midway through the period. As they did throughout the season, the Saints didn't give up, even after losing two of their 30 goal men (Watt from an injury earlier and Mistelbacher from being shown the gate after the 3rd Portage goal). A Portage penalty was too little too late and the Saints couldn't convert it into a goal. An empty net goal by Delong made it a 5-2 final for the Terriers.

As the buzzer sounded, the Terriers mobbed McHale and the Portage fans celebrated as their team became the 2007/08 MJHL Champions. Award presentations followed with the Saints Matt Gingera awarded for being the playoffs leading scorer. Portage goaltender Pollon walked away with the MJHL honours of being named as goaltender and MVP of the playoffs.

Apr 6/08 - Eight is Enough
Saints 6 Terriers 8 Game Summary
After the range of emotions that the team went through in Game Three, the Saints looked to turn things around as they headed into Portage for Game Four of the MJHL Finals.

For the second game in a row, the Terriers scored first, only 1:40 in, when Fischer beat Perusse. The Saints would tie the game two and a half minutes later when, on the powerplay, Mistelbacher would net his 5th of the post-season. Carriere would give the Saints their first lead of the night with his 4th, again with a man advantage before the Terriers would even it up with the games 4th straight powerplay goal, this time by Dawes. The Saints would leave the first period with a 3-2 lead after Watt's goal with 3:33 remaining.

The second period saw Portage change goaltenders with McHale replacing Pollon and the Saints beat him early on when Mistelbacher notched his second of the game. McHale's return seemed to wake up the Terriers. With the Saints taking the only three penalties of the period, Portage capitalized as they scored three goals (two on the powerplay) in a 3:20 span to take the lead from the Saints and chase the Saints starter, Perusse, from the game. By the end of the second, the Saints were behind 5-4.

Only 1:30 into the final period, the Saints evened up the score at five with Watt's 7th of the playoffs. But it was two quick goals by the Terriers captain Audino that seemed to seal the deal, making it 7-5. With 7:11 remaining, Gingera brought the Saints back to within one and gave the visitors some much needed life. They pressed and had some chances at the end but an empty net goal by the Terriers Delong made it an 8-6 final.

Apr 3/08 - Amazing Comeback Falls Short, Terriers Up 2-1 On Saints
Saints 7 Terriers 8 Game Summary
The Saints headed into Game Three of the MJHL Finals back in the win column and the series tied at one game a piece.

The Terriers struck first as Dawes scored with Macaulay in the box to make it 1-0. At the halfway point of the period, Portage made it a two-goal lead when Delong deflected a low shot over Perusse.

In the second, Mistelbacher's hard work paid dividends when he scored shorthanded, getting the Saints back to within one. However, back-to-back goals by Portage's captain, Audino, followed by a powerplay marker by Rowat and Dawes' second of the night gave the Terriers a seemingly insurmountable 6-1 lead with 5:48 still to play in the period.

CUE THE COMEBACK!! MacKinnon's 8th of the post-season made it 6-2 and was followed by Jeffery's 5th to pull within three. A melee followed Jeffery's goal and resulted in three players from each team being ejected. This did not slow down the Saints and with Mistelbacher's goal with :28 left, the Saints were back in it, only behind 6-4.

Not wanting to be left out of the dramatics, playoff leading scorer Gingera made it 6-5 only :20 into the third. The Saints continued coming at the Terriers and tied it up when Carriere beat Pollon and chased him from the game. The game remained tied for the next ten minutes but Gingera gave the Saints the lead with 3:42 left. Now it was Portage's turn to come back and with 1:55 remaining, Nixdorf jammed home the Terriers 7th goal and the teams headed to overtime.

The Saints had their chances early in the extra frame but it was Dawes, completing his hat trick 8:12 into overtime, that ended one of the most bizarre MJHL games in recent memory.

Series note: Game four goes Sunday night at 7:30 in Portage at the Portage Centennial Arena.

Apr 1/08 - No Fooling, Saints Kennel Dogs and Even Up Series
Saints 5 Terriers 1 Game Summary
Losing home ice advantage was the last thing the Saints wanted after Game One of the MJHL Finals. A win in Portage on Tuesday night would regain that advantage and stop any momentum the Terriers had.

Both teams had their chances on the powerplay early on but it was the Saints that struck first when MacKinnon jammed home a loose puck on a goal mouth scramble to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Saints increased their lead, again on the powerplay, when Watt sidestepped a Portage forward in the slot and rifled home his 5th of the playoffs into the top corner to make it 2-0 after one.

The Terriers got back to within one goal :15 into a second period powerplay. But Gingera showed why he led the CJAHL in goals thirteen minutes into the second when, on the powerplay, he put it over the shoulder of Pollon on the short side to regain the Saints two-goal lead. Portage lost a bit of their composure with five and a half minutes left in the period following a huge hit by King on Dawes, leaving both teams benches short and the Saints on the powerplay. King, obtained in a trade last season from the Terriers, also thwarted a Portage breakaway opportunity when he chased down the Terriers player and knocked the puck away. MacKinnon notched his second goal of the game with :20 left to make it a 4-1 Saints lead heading to the 3rd.

The final 20 minutes saw the Saints continue their pressure on the Terriers with the lone goal being a Chartier marker six minutes in to make it a 5-1 Saints win.

Mar 28/08 - Slow Start Leaves Saints Down 1-0
Saints 2 Terriers 3 Game Summary
The stage was set as a large contingent of Terrier faithful made the trek to the west end rink and were met by an equal number of Saints fans who were just as boisterous. With a pre-game ceremony spotlighting Saints championship teams of the past, the atmosphere at the Civic Centre for game one of the MJHL Finals was electric.

And the Terrier fans were on their feet early as Portage's Delong pounced on a loose puck in front of Saints goaltender Perusse 5:47 into the first period to give Portage a 1-0 lead. The Terrier's made it a two-goal game when Dawes netted his fourth goal of the playoffs with 1:19 left in the period.

At 3:33 of the second, the visitor's lead was further extended when Delong scored his second of the game. The Saints would start to chip into the Terriers lead when Gingera one-timed a shot past Portage's Pollon at 10:07 on the power play.

In the third, the Saints would keep pressing. With just under five minutes remaining, the Saints got to within a goal when Macaulay found a Mistelbacher rebound in the slot and wristed it past Pollon to make it 3-2. The remainder of the game saw the Saints continue coming at the Terrier's, and just missed evening the game up when Chartier's shot went wide with :15 left.

Game Note: The Saints would like to thank the nights game sponsor, Boston Pizza, and to their alumni who participated in the pre-game ceremony, Bill Kriski, Brian Contant, and Ryan Vermette, for making it a great evening.

Mar 21/08 - On To The Finals
Saints 6 Flyers 5 Game Summary
Needing just one more win to advance to the MJHL finals, the Saints had a chance to turn Good Friday into a great Friday.

With a boisterous crowd of 751 on hand the atmosphere was right for a Saints victory. That was until the Flyers took the first lead of the game 6:55 in. The Saints fought back to tie it on Goertzen's goal but that was short-lived when Winkler scored :34 later top regain their lead. After a giveaway behind the Saints net, the Flyers took a 2-goal lead and extended that to 4-1 two minutes later. Following a goalmouth scramble, Leclair notched his 3rd of the playoffs. However, the turning point of the game and series was when a Flyer was handed a 5 minute Checking From Behind penalty with :16 left in the period.

The Saints took full advantage of this opportunity in the second as Gingera, Kirkpatrick, and Jeffery all scored on the ensuing powerplay to give the Saints a 5-4 lead. Gingera's 2nd of the night with 12:17 left gave the Saints some comfort with a 6-4 lead.

The third period remained scoreless until Winkler scored with 2:44 remaining. The Flyers continued to apply pressure but once again. Perusse stood tall and the Saints won the game 6-5, the series 4-1, and will now take on the Sher-Wood Division Champs, the Portage Terriers.

Mar 20/08 - Saints One Win Away From 1st League Final in 14 Years
Saints 4 Flyers 0 Game Summary
After a disastrous game three that saw the Saints lose focus and composure in the third period, the boys traveled to Winkler in search of a 3-1 lead in the Addison Division final.

The Saints had numerous opportunities in the 1st period including a couple of goalposts but neither team could put it away and the score was deadlocked at 0 after one.

In the second, it was the Saints that took advantage on the powerplay when Mistelbacher made it 1-0 seven and a half minutes in. The lead was extended to 2-0 :28 later when Chartier went high on the Flyer goaltender with his 5th of the playoffs. Shortly after killing off a penalty, some sloppy play by the Winkler defence was all Gingera needed as he buried his 10th of the post-season and the Saints headed to the third up 3-0.

The 3rd period saw the Saints play possibly their best period of the series, giving the Flyers few quality chances. Carriere's goal at 6:17 to make it a 4-0 Saints lead seemed to curb any Flyer comeback attempt. The remainder of the game was simple, preserve Perusse's shutout, which they did, and the Saints headed home with a 3-1 series lead.

The team will look to close out the Flyers and head to the MJHL finals for the first time since the 1993/94 season on Friday night at Dakota. Gametime is 7:30.

Mar 18/08 - Penalties Trip Up Saints
Saints 3 Flyers 8 Game Summary
Up 2-0 in the Addison Division Final, the Saints looked to put a stranglehold on the Flyers going into game three at Dakota.

However, it was the Flyers who once again came out flying. On the powerplay, which they were on for much of the evening, the Flyers opened the scoring just over two minutes in. Shortly afterward, Chartier evened it up with his 4th of the post-season. Winkler climbed back into the lead with 9 minutes gone with their 2nd powerplay goal of the period. The Saints newest scoring sensation, Trent King, brought the home faithful to their feet with his 2nd of the series, leaving the game tied at two after 20 minutes.

The Flyers regained their lead seven minutes into the 2nd but it was short-lived as Gingera scored :19 later to make it 3-3. A Winkler goal midway through the period and another powerplay marker late left the Saints trailing 5-3 after two periods.

In the third, another early Flyer goal made it 6-3. The Saints frustrations boiled over for the rest of the game as the Flyers scored their 4th goal with the man advantage with under 12 minutes remaining and another with 1:22 left to leave the Saints with a bitter 8-3 loss.

Series Note - Thursday night in Winkler is crucial and expect the Saints to put game three behind them. A disciplined, focused lineup will be looking to go up three games to one. Gametime is 7:30 in Winkler. Friday's game five at Dakota is also 7:30.

Mar 16/08 - Perusse Grounds Flyers
Saints 2 Flyers 1 Game Summary
With a large contingent of fans making the trip to Winkler, the Saints hoped to extend their lead in the division final.

And as expected, the Flyers came out in the first period and hit everything and everyone in sight. This strategy gave the Flyers a number of opportunities as they outshot the Saints 8-0 at one point. Perusse continued to stymie the Flyers throughout the period, finishing with 15 first period saves and leaving it scoreless after one.

Perusse continued his stellar play in the second. Following a spectacular save on a Flyer rush, the rebound went out to an uncovered Flyer who had an open net to make it 1-0. Just over a minute later, while on the powerplay, Buors found himself in a similar situation to the right of the Winkler net. With a rebound finding its way to him, he pocketed it to tie the game at one and we headed to the third.

The third period saw the Saints pick up their game and take it to a tired Flyers defence creating numerous scoring chances, but to no avail. It wasn't until some strong forechecking by Leclair gave the Saints the bounce they needed. As Leclair was off to the side of the Flyers net, he spun and shot, hoping for a deflection. That he got as the puck went up off the Flyers goaltender stick, hit the crossbar and fell behind into the net, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. With their goaltender pulled in the final minute, the Flyers threw everything at Perusse and the Saints but they held their ground and escaped Winkler with a 2-0 series lead.

Mar 14/08 - Just-in Time, Leclair Scores OT Winner
Saints 5 Flyers 4 (OT) Game Summary
On a busy night at Dakota, the Addison Division Final opened as the Saints took on the Flyers.

With parking and seats at a premium, the visitors from Winkler were flying to start off the game as they took a lead 2:32 in. But the Saints stormed back with three straight. Buors lit the lamp on the powerplay with almost five minutes gone followed by Carriere and Gingera scoring :06 seconds apart to give the Saints a 3-1 lead after one.

The second saw the Saints make it a three goal lead when King, on a breakaway no less, rifled a slapshot past the Winkler goaltender to make it 4-1. That seemed to rejuvenate the Flyers as they scored with 5:25 left to make it a two goal game.

Early in the third, Winkler got to within one on a shorthanded effort :51 in. Gingera had a fantastic opportunity to regain the two goal Saints lead on a penalty shot with 11:09 left. He had the Winkler goaltender (and the goal judge) fooled but couldn't corral the bouncing puck and flipped it wide of the open net. This seemed to give the Flyers some life as they took advantage of a costly Saints giveaway and tied the game up at four with 3:34 remaining. Neither team could score in the final minutes and the Saints headed into their second straight overtime game.

And the Saints looked like a team on a mission as they applied immediate pressure in the Flyers end. After the Flyers goalie made an initial save, Leclair found himself to the right of the net and put it in the short side, giving the Saints a 5-4 overtime victory.

Mar 8/08 - One Down, Two To Go - Saints Eliminate Blues
Saints 5 Blues 4 (Double OT) Game Summary
Needing just one more win to reach the Addison Division final, the Saints looked to close out the Blues.

The night opened on a promising note when Gingera scored with 1:32 left to give the Saints a late 1-0 lead. That would turn out to be all the scoring in the 1st and the Saints led 1-0 after one.

MacKinnon made it a two-goal game just two minutes into the second but that was followed shortly afterward with the Blues getting on the scoresheet with their 1st of the night. The Blues tied it up just over eight minutes in but Kirkpatrick responded for the Saints just :23 later and the score was 3-2 Saints after two periods.

The final 20 minutes, delayed by a collision between the Zamboni and a water bottle, saw the Blues score goals :26 apart early on to give them a one-goal lead with twelve minutes left to play. With 1:05 remaining, the Saints called a time-out and organized their plan of attack. With Perusse on the bench for an extra attacker, the Saints won the face-off deep in the Blues zone. Getting the puck back to Buors, his shot with :59 left from the point found its way through the traffic in front and sent the game into overtime.

With visions of last years quadruple overtime thriller in the back of their minds, the first overtime saw the teams play very conservative with the best scoring chance being Carriere's shot that just cleared the crossbar. Both teams had penalties called against them in OT but a late Blues penalty would be the call that would cut the deepest.

The Saints started the second OT on the powerplay and they quickly gained the Blues zone. After Gingera was originally stopped in close, the Blues didn't move the MJHL's goal leader from the front of the net and after a couple of whacks at the loose puck it got by the Blues goaltender and the celebration began, ending the game :47 into the 2nd overtime.

With the win, the Saints will now take on the Winkler Flyers (who upset the Selkirk Steelers earlier in the evening) in the Addison Division final starting Friday, March 14 at Dakota. Gametime is 7:30.

Mar 6/08 - Win Streak Ends At 12 As Blues Turn Tables on Saints
Saints 2 Blues 9 Game Summary
The Saints were looking to finish off the Blues Thursday night as the teams met back at Century Arena.

The game started off well for the Saints as Gingera scored on the powerplay three minutes in to take an early 1-0 lead. The Blues scored their first goal of the night ten minutes later to leave the period tied at one.

The middle 40 minutes were a different story for the Saints as an undisciplined team took the ice, giving the Blues 6 powerplays during the period. The Blues scored three goals before the period was six minutes old to take a commanding 4-1 lead. Another three goals by the Blues later in the period, making it 7 unanswered goals, made it 7-1. MacKinnon's 4th of the playoffs left the score at 7-2 Blues after two periods.

In the third, the Blues finished off the scoring with two more to make it a 9-2 final.

Game five goes Saturday night at Dakota as the Saints look to dispatch the Blues and move on in the MJHL playoffs.

Mar 4/08 - Saints Take Hold of Series
Saints 9 Blues 2 Game Summary
With a win on Tuesday night, the Saints could be within one game of returning to the Addison Division final.

It was the Saints who struck first with one second left on the powerplay as Macaulay banged in his 1st of the playoffs. Simchuk extended the lead to 2-0 under a minute later. Following a Blues goal, Kirkpatrick followed with his own 1st goal to make it 3-1. The Blues rounded out the first period scoring with 1:06 remaining to make it 3-2.

With just under five minutes gone in the second period, Chartier made it 4-2 and it stayed that way until the final minute when the Saints pulled away for good. Gingera's powerplay goal with :49 left on the clock followed by Jeffery's 3rd of the post-season ten seconds later made it 6-2 after two.

Mistelbacher opened the third period scoring when he made it 7-2 just 4:39 in. Chartier's goal midway through the final period was followed closely by MacKinnon's 3rd of the playoffs to leave the final score at 9-2 in favour of the Saints.

Mar 2/08 - Watt A Comeback...Saints Claw Back To Take Game Two
Saints 7 Blues 5 Game Summary
Sunday night saw the Addison Division semifinal head to River East after a fire left Century Arena unplayable.

However, a new home didn't phase the Blues as they came out looking to even the series at one. Goals :06 apart early on had them well on their way with a 2-0 lead. MacKinnon's second of the post-season brought the Saints to within one and Watt's powerplay goal with just under three minutes remaining left the game tied at 2 after one period.

The Blues caught the Saints off-guard to start the second and regained their lead just :26 in. Penalties cost the Saints again as the Blues scored their second straight powerplay goal and regained their two goal lead. Gingera got the Saints back to within one with 4:46 left with a period still to play.

Watt's second goal of the game, with less than a minute gone, opened the third period scoring. But the Blues stormed back with yet another powerplay goal to regain their lead. But this time it was the tenacious work of a rookie, Geddes, who fed Hayduk in the slot to tie the game at 5 with half a period to play. As he did throughout the regular season, leading the MJHL with game winning goals, Gingera scored the eventual game winner with 4:35 left and giving them their first lead of the night. Not to be outdone, Watt completed his hat trick with under three minutes left to make it a 7-5 final.

Feb 29/08 - Saints Jump Into 1-0 Series Lead
Saints 6 Blues 3 Game Summary
Heading into the 07/08 playoffs, the Saints were looking to build on their current nine game winning streak.

The Blues had different ideas as they took an early lead 1:35 in. Following back-to-back Blues penalties, the Saints Pembina Chrysler Power Play got into gear when MacKinnon scored to even it up at one. The teams kept the goaltenders busy throughout the period with the Saints outshooting the Blues 18-15 but the game remained 1-1 after 20 minutes.

The second period saw both teams with numerous powerplay opportunities but neither team could capitalize, leaving it tied at 1. The best chances came during the 1st and 2nd intermissions during the Shoot-To-Win Contests, hosted by the game night sponsor, the NEW Pembina Chrysler Dodge Jeep.

The way the first 40 minutes was played, no one could have expected the up coming 3rd period seven goal onslaught. After Jeffery gave the Saints their 1st lead two minutes in, Gingera made it 3-1 by the five minute mark. Following Gingera's goal, it only took the Blues :11 to get the score back to 3-2. Following another Blues penalty, the Pembina Chrysler Power Play hit 2nd gear with Watt finding the back of the net, regaining the Saints two-goal advantage. Chartier's goal at 10:31 from in close gave the Saints the three-goal spread they needed. The Blues pulled back within two with 5:26 left but an undisciplined Blues penalty shortly afterward gave the Saints a seven minute powerplay. The Pembina Chrysler powerplay hit overdrive as it connected for its third goal, this one by Jeffery on a great pass from Hayduk to make it a 6-3 Saints final.

Game note: With Century Arena having ice problems, game two of the series has been moved to River East Arena with a gametime of 6:30 on Sunday night.

Feb 26/08 - Saints Head Into Playoffs on Fire
Saints 13 Natives 3 Game Summary
Going into the final night of the regular season, the Saints had a chance to finish first in the tight Addison Division, securing home ice throughout the playoffs. But to get there, not only did the Saints need to beat the Neepawa Natives, they needed the Flyers to beat the Steelers.

The Saints kept their hopes alive early on Watt's marker 1:34 in. Simchuk doubled the lead with his 24th two minutes later which was followed shortly after by MacKinnon's 29th. MacKinnon scored his 30th of the year nine minutes in and with Macaulay's 9th :37 later, it was a comfortable 5-0 Saints lead after 20 minutes.

Maybe a bit too comfy as the Natives got on the board first in the middle period. Another milestone goal, this time Kirkpatrick with his 30th, made it 6-1. Mistelbacher's powerplay goal :16 later was followed by two Neepawa goals making the score 7-3. Chartier's goal with just over five minutes left pulled the Saints even further in front. Gingera rounded out the second period scoring with his 66th, the most in Junior "A" hockey in Canada.

The night of milestone goals continued in the third when Chartier scored his 20th of the year with 8:04 left. But that wasn't the end of it as MacKinnon completed his hat trick with two and a half minutes left. On the powerplay with 1:35 remaining, Mistelbacher made it 12-3.

However, the celebration of the night was reserved for King when he redirected a shot from the point past the Neepawa goaltender (finally) for his first of the year, with only 1:06 left on the clock making it a 13-3 Saints win heading into the playoffs.

Feb 21/08 - Saints Get By Short Staffed Natives In Home Finale
Saints 7 Natives 3 Game Summary
To complete the home portion of their schedule, the Saints met up with a short staffed Neepawa Natives team in St. Adolphe.

With only 12 skaters dressed due to injuries and illness, the Natives came out strong and took an early lead just 1:41 in. Macaulay made it 1-1 five minutes later with his 8th followed by Simchuk's 23rd with seven minutes remaining to make it 2-1 after one.

Both teams had numerous chances in the second but it was the Saints MGM Line who clicked again with Kirkpatrick netting his 28th. Midway through the period, Gingera moved into second on the Saints single season goals list with his 64th, surpassing Ken Petrash's total from the 1982-83 season. After the Natives scored on the powerplay to get back to within two, Gingera scored his 2nd of the night to give the Saints a 5-2 lead.

The third opened with Kirkpatrick's 2nd of the game. MacKinnon got into goal scoring column with his 28th giving the MGM Line a total of 11 points for the night. Neepawa closed out the scoring with 4:37 left to make it a 7-3 final.

Feb 19/08 - Ouellette Snipes Saints Past Blades
Saints 11 Blades 3 Game Summary
Continuing their hectic late season finale, and in the same night completing their January schedule, the Saints took on the Blades Tuesday night at Dakota.

Even with the temperature dropping to -43C outside, the Saints were well warmed up after the completion of the final 14:57 of the January 8th game (which they went on to win 14-3). Macaulay kept the heat on with his 7th just :20 in. Following a parade to the penalty box, the Blades drew even eight minutes later. The Saints took the lead on the powerplay when Kirkpatrick helped celebrate his dad's birthday with his 27th of the year. Carriere followed that up with his 16th with five minutes remaining. But it was the eventual game winner by Ouellette, his first, that gave the Saints the cushion they'd need.

In the second, Chartier added to his impressive rookie totals with his 18th. Ouellette continued his offensive surge scoring his 2nd of the night at 12:02 to make it 6-1. Simchuk closed out the second period scoring with his 22nd of the year.

Surprisingly, the Blades came to play in the third, scoring two in the first five minutes to cut the Saints lead to 7-3. But it was the Saints newest sniper, Ouellette, that finished off his hat trick with 7:34 to go. MacKinnon upped his goal total to 27 with two late ones, followed by Gingera's 63rd, tops in Canadian Junior "A" Hockey, to make it an 11-3 final.

Feb 17/08 - Saints Stampede Over Swan Valley
Saints 11 Stampeders 3 Game Summary
The boys looked to continue their perfect February when the Swan Valley Stampeders hit the ice on Sunday night.

Playing their 3rd game in as many nights, many teams would have started to show some signs of exhaustion. But that certainly wasn't the case with the Saints. Gingera continued to build on his record breaking season when he scored just 2:36 in. After Hayduk made it 2-0 with his 9th, goals 10 seconds apart by Gingera completed his hat-trick just 8:13 into the game and gave him 60 for the year. The Stampeders finally hit the scoresheet midway through but Carriere's shorthanded effort late in the period gave the Saints a 5-1 lead after one period.

Hayduk continued his strong game with his second goal at 8:48 of the second. With the Saints shorthanded, Gingera got his 4th of the night and also assisted on Buors powerplay marker with 1:21 left. After two periods, the Saints held a comfortable 8-1 advantage.

With MacKinnon scoring in the 1st minute of the third, the Saints goal horn was starting to wear down. The Stampeders didn't give up and scored their second of the game with eight minutes gone. That didn't slow Gingera down as he made it an incredible five goal evening with a half period still to play. Swan Valley scored their 3rd before Carriere got his 2nd shorthanded goal of the game with under a minute to play, his 15th of the year, to make it a lopsided 11-3 final.

Feb 16/08 - Saints No Match For Winkler On Memorable Night
Saints 7 Flyers 2 Game Summary
The Saints were back at Dakota Saturday night as the Winkler Flyers visited to finish off their season series.

And there was no lack of excitement this night. Off the opening face-off, Carriere broke through the stunned Flyer defence and scored on a backhand only six seconds into the game. It didn't end there. A minute later Gingera redirected in his 57th goal of the campaign, breaking the Saints career goal scoring record of 139 held for 25 years by Ken Petrash. The excitement must have lulled the Saints players into a false sense of security as they allowed Winkler to score two of their own to tie the game up. With six minutes left, MacKinnon scored his 24th of the season to regain the Saints lead. Watt's 29th in the final minute made it 4-2 for the Saints heading into the second.

Carriere opened the scoring once again, this time 11:45 in and Mistelbacher scored his 30th of the year, matching his total goals from a year ago, to give the Saints a 6-2 lead with 20 minutes left.

The only goal of the third was also memorable as Watt became the third member of the Saints to join the 30-goal club when he scored 1:36 in. With the win, the Saints guaranteed themselves at least second place in the Addison Division.

Feb 15/08 - Dauphin Doubled Up By Saints
Saints 6 Kings 3 Game Summary
Playing out of their 6th "home" rink this season, the nomad Saints hosted the Dauphin Kings on Friday night at the St James Civic Centre.

After Carriere opened the scoring seven minutes in with his 11th, the Kings came back and tied the game and took the lead with 4:29 remaining. Simchuk's 19th evened the game at two after 20 minutes.

The second period saw the Saints shooters come alive as Leclair gave the home squad their first lead of the night with his 27th. Kirkpatrick extended the lead to two with a powerplay goal and Gingera widened the Kings deficit to three with 4:47 to go.

Taking advantage with the Saints in the penalty box, the Kings clawed back with a goal of their own midway through the third. But as he's done throughout the season, Saints leading scorer Gingera iced the game with his 54th (56th depending how we count it) of the year making it a 6-3 final.

Feb 10/08 - Saints Clip Flyers Wings
Saints 6 Flyers 1 Game Summary
A night after Winkler hosted "Hockey Day in Canada", the Saints hoped to continue their season long dominance of the Flyers.

MVP candidate Gingera opened the scoring with his 52nd of the year just over two minutes in. Hayduk extended the Saints lead with his 8th and Mistelbacher's powerplay goal, his 29th, made it 3-0 Saints after one.

The Saints special teams connected in the second as Kirkpatrick's shorthanded effort and Chartier's powerplay goal gave the Saints a 5-0 lead after a penalty filled second period.

The parade to the penalty box continued in the third. It was soon 6-0 Saints as Leclair scored his 26th just under three and a half minutes in. The only puck to get by Perusse was a powerplay marker by the Flyers at the 12:35 mark and with no other scoring, the final was 6-1 Saints.

Feb 9/08 - Saints Outgun Blues
Saints 9 Blues 5 Game Summary
With the MJHL schedule makers giving the Saints an extended time off, they needed to find their game legs fast to take on their city rivals the Winnipeg South Blues.

The first period was relatively quiet with Leclair's 25th of the season being the only goal scored, looking as though is was going to be a low scoring game. Any thought of a defensive battle was erased as the teams combined for eight goals in the second. Kirkpatrick's goal in the first minute of the second made it 2-0. The Blues stormed back with their special teams play with shorthanded, powerplay and penalty shot goals to take a 3-2 lead. This seemed to wake the Saints up as Watt tied the game with his 28th. Three goals in three minutes by Kirkpatrick, Mistelbacher and Carriere made it 6-3 Saints after two periods.

The Blues got back to within two goals early in the third but Mistelbacher's second of the game regained the Saints' three goal advantage. Another Blues special teams marker made it 7-5 but goals by Carriere, his 10th, and Mistelbacher, completing his hat trick, made it a 9-5 final.

Jan 25/08 - Flyers Grounded by Perusse
Saints 5 Flyers 2 Game Summary
Heading into the All-Star break weekend, the Saints traveled to Winkler.

And the Saints had their hands full early on, with Winkler jumping into a 15-0 lead in shots. Only the stellar play of Perusse kept the Flyers off the scoreboard. But it was the Saints who opened the scoring on the powerplay when Carriere notched his 8th. Chartier extended the lead in the final minute to give the Saints a two-goal advantage after 20 minutes.

In the second, Winkler finally solved Perusse on the powerplay and got to within one. Leclair answered that with the Saints on the man-advantage with his 24th to give the Saints a 3-1 lead heading to the third.

Macaulay's 5th made it 4-1 with just under seven minutes gone in the final period. The Flyers scored with two and a half minutes left but Gingera's league leading 51st in the final minute made it a 5-2 final.

Jan 20/08 - Saints Shooters Cooled Again
Saints 2 Blues 3 Game Summary
Following a disappointing loss on Saturday, the Saints traveled to Century to take on the Blues.

After a scoreless first, Mistelbacher opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the year, this one on the powerplay, to give the Saints a one-goal lead. The Blues replied late in the period to leave it tied heading for the third.

The final period saw the Saints once again outshoot the opposition, this time 23-8, but get turned away time and time again by a hot goaltender. The Blues scored two early goals while the Saints could only muster a late powerplay goal by Kirkpatrick, his 19th, to make it a 3-2 final.

Jan 19/08 - Stamps Target Gingera Early and Steal Win
Saints 2 Stampeders 3 Game Summary
The Saints hosted Swan Valley for the first time this season at Dakota.

And it didn't take long to see what was up the Stampeders sleeves as they targeted Gingera early on. After his second fight of the game and only six minutes into the game, the MJHL's leading goal scorer was done for the night. Even with that being said, and with giving up a mid-period 5-on-3, the Saints ended up outshooting the visitors 18-5; but the score remained tied at 0 after one.

Watt's goal a minute into the second made it 1-0 and it wasn't until there was 4:24 remaining in the second that the Saints scored again, with MacKinnon's powerplay goal making it 2-0. Swan Valley got to within one a little under a minute later and the second period ended with a 2-1 Saints lead.

The Stampeders scored early in the third to tie it at two and only the play of the Swan Valley goaltender kept the visitors in the game as he finished the game with an incredible 49 saves (compared to Dreger's 20). However, a win was not in the cards for the Saints as a giveaway deep in the Saints end with 3:42 left on the clock lead to a Stampeders goal. The Saints battled at the end but could not come up with the equalizer and fell to the visiting Stampeders 3-2.

Jan 16/08 - Saints Double Up Terriers and Reclaim Cup
Saints 6 Terriers 3 Game Summary
The MTS Centre played host to the division leaders as they vied for the Daryl Steen Challenge Cup.

It took awhile for the teams to get use to the ice and the atmosphere at the MTS Centre. The Terriers opened the scoring with just under twelve minutes gone in the 1st period. However, goals :24 apart by MacKinnon and Simchuk in the final two minutes made the score 2-1 Saints after one.

Kirkpatrick extended the Saints lead midway through the second with his 18th of the year. Portage edged back to within one goal five minutes later but it was Mistelbacher's breakaway goal in the final minute of the period that made it 4-2 Saints.

Early in the third, the Terriers once again made it a one-goal game. That stood until MacKinnon's second of the game, and 22nd of the year, halfway through the period. Mistelbacher's 24th with three and a half minutes remaining salted the game away as the Saints won it 6-3 and reclaimed the Daryl Steen Challenge Cup.

Jan 13/08 - Saints Comeback Strong Against Terriers
Saints 8 Terriers 6 Game Summary
A home and home series between the MJHL's division leaders started Sunday night in Portage.

And it didn't take long for the Saints to dig themselves into a hole as they fell behind 2-0 after the first period.

In the second, the Saints turned the tables and took it to the Terriers, outshooting and outscoring them 21-12 and 6-2 respectively. Carriere started the comeback with his 7th of the year 1:38 in. After another Portage powerplay goal, McCarthy notched his own 7th of the season which was followed a minute later by Simchuk's 17th. Buors 8th gave the Saints their first lead of the game and Gingera extended that lead with his 50th (yes again) goal of the year. The Terriers got back to within one but Mistelbacher's shorthanded effort regained the two-goal advantage and the teams headed to the third with the Saints up 6-4.

Early in the third, on the powerplay, MacKinnon made it a three-goal game with his 20th. Penalties again cost the Saints as the Terriers scored their 5th and 6th powerplay goals of the game to make it 7-6. Only a final minute goal by Chartier (his 15th) sealed the victory and the Saints headed home with a hard-fought 8-6 win.

Jan 12/08 - Perusse Wins Saints Debut
Saints 7 Wolverines 4 Game Summary
The Saints threw newly acquired goaltender Guillame Perusse into the fire on Saturday night up against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.

And it was a defenceman who opened the scoring for the Saints as newfound sniper Goertzen scored for the third straight game to give the Saints a short-lived lead as the Wolverines scored just over a minute later. Gingera's 49th (official) goal gave the Saints a 2-1 lead after one.

In the second, both Chartier and Leclair scored to give the Saints a 4-1 lead with 20 minutes to play. The early minutes of the third saw Wayway come back with two of their own to make it a one goal game. However, the Saints scored goals from Kirkpatrick and Watt within a minute of each other to regain their three goal advantage. After the Wolverines scored another to come within two, and with the net empty, Macaulay stole the puck by the Saints blueline and iced the victory with an empty net goal, making it a 7-4 Saints win.

Jan 8/08 - Milestone Goal for Gingera Put On Hold
Maginot Arena was the Saints home as they hosted the Beausejour Blades on Tuesday night.

And the visitors weren't about to roll over for the Addison Division leading Saints as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead with only four and a half minutes gone in the first period. The Saints eventually adjusted to Maginot's smaller ice surface as Jeffery got them to within one. Gingera's powerplay goal left it tied at two heading into the second.

In the second, the Saints struck early and often, scoring seven goals. Nearly a minute after Kirkpatrick gave the Saints their 1st lead of the night, Gingera scored his league-leading 50th goal of the year. The onslaught continued as Macaulay, Goertzen, Leclair, Simchuk, and Hayduk all increased their goal totals as the Saints scored a total of nine unanswered goals to make it a 9-2 game.

Following some repairs to the ice, the teams played just over five minutes of the third period. However, the officials deemed the surface dangerous and unrepairable and the game was suspended with 14:57 remaining with the Saints comfortably ahead 9-2.

The game is scheduled to be completed prior to the Saints/Blades game on February 19th, the Saints final regular season home game. Any stats from this game will not be counted until the game is completed.

Jan 8/08 - 2008 All-Star and Prospects Teams Named
The MJHL announced its rosters for the 2008 MJHL All-Star Weekend, hosted this year by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on January 26th and 27th. The Addison Division All-Star team is led by MJHL top goal scorer Matthew Gingera of the Saints. He has 48 goals in 47 games this season.

The Saints have five players named to the Addison Division team. These include Gingera, his linemate Reave MacKinnon, defenceman Derek Buors, forward Dan Watt and goaltender Eric Potvin.

The Saints coaching staff will be watching over some of their own in the prospects game as goaltender Jordan Dreger, defenceman Scott Macaulay, forwards Brett Chartier, Craig Simchuk, and Tim Hayduk were selected for the Addison Division Prospect Team.

Jan 6/08 - Special Teams Get A Workout
Saints 4 Blues 6 Game Summary
A night after extending their lead in the Addison Division, the Saints took on the Blues.

But Sunday night was a much different story, with very few five-on-five situations. Both teams came out firing in the first with 33 shots in total. The Blues had a two goal lead until Gingera scored his 48th with just under three minutes left. Mistelbacher's 20th of the year tied it at two until a Blues goal with :07 on the clock gave them a 3-2 lead heading into the second.

The teams exchanged singles in the second with Mistelbacher scoring his second powerplay goal of the game to keep it a one goal game.

Goertzen's 4th of the year midway through the third brought the Saints even until Winnipeg South scored at 13:13 to take the lead for good. The Blues added an insurance marker at 17:06 to make it a 6-4 final.

Jan 5/08 - Buors OT Winner Sinks Steelers
Saints 2 Steelers 1 Game Summary
The Saints looked to increase their lead over Selkirk as they hosted the Steelers Saturday night.

In the first, both teams had their chances but Selkirk were the only ones to capitalize as they scored late in the period to take a 1-0 lead into the dressing room after a period.

Gingera continued his assault on the Saints record book when he scored his 47th of the year four and a half minutes into the second. The third period saw numerous opportunities for both teams but with neither able to convert, they headed to overtime.

Selkirk had an early opportunity in overtime which was turned away by Potvin. On the ensuing rush into the visitors end, Watt drew the Steelers defence over giving Buors an open lane to the net where he converted Watt's pass and gave the Saints the OT win.

Dec 30/07 - Saints End 2007 On Winning Note
Saints 6 Blues 3 Game Summary
A night after celebrating 40 years of Saints hockey, the Saints were looking to sweep the Blues on their own alumni night.

Following a Blues goal that gave them a 1-0 lead, Simchuk scored his 15th of the year :09 later to make it one all after one.

The second saw Gingera notch his 45th early on. A Blues powerplay marker at 6:44 brought the teams even again. But the Saints powerplay began to click as Mistelbacher, Gingera, and Carriere all connected with powerplay goals before the period was over to make it 5-2 after two. Gingera's 2nd goal of the game moved him past Rick Loeb into 4th all-time on the Saints career goal leaderboard.

The third saw the teams each score single goals, Simchuk with his 2nd of the night, to make it a 6-3 final for the Saints.

Dec 29/07 - Alumni Boost Saints Past Blues
Saints 9 Blues 2 Game Summary
On a night when the original Saints "Hot Line" was reunited, it was the 07/08's "3M Line" that lit up the Blues.

It took the Saints half of the 1st period to shake off the Xmas turkey and stuffing. The home squad finally opened the scoring with 11 minutes left when MacKinnon scored his 17th of the season. The Blues evened it up before the period was over as the teams headed to the dressing rooms tied at one after 20 minutes.

In the second, Winnipeg South scored six minutes in for their only lead of the game. After Leclair stuffed his 22nd home to make it 2-2, the Saints continued the pressure and Gingera scored goals :26 apart. MacKinnon's second of the game with just over a minute left made it 5-2 heading to the third.

The Saints scored four more unanswered goals in the third with both MacKinnon and Gingera completing their hat tricks and Watt and Carriere scoring on the powerplay to make it a 9-2 final.

Dec 29/07 - Alumni Night A Success
St. Boniface Saints 7 Winnipeg Saints 4 Game Summary
On Saturday night at Dakota, the Saints alumni entertained their fans, families and friends with a hard-fought alumni game.

Both teams came out flying early on but the goalies kept the game low scoring as the score was tied at one after one. With the oxygen tanks and defibrillators at the ready, St. Boniface outscored Winnipeg 2-1 in the second to make it 3-2 heading into the third.

The teams abandoned all defensive strategies in the third with a combined six goals, four by St. Boniface, to give the St. Boniface Saints a 7-4 victory over the Winnipeg Saints.

Players of the game were Les Forgala of the St. Boniface Saints (two goals/two assists) and Ken Petrash of the Winnipeg Saints (two goals/one assist). The Blue Cross/Manitoba Health player of the game was St. Boniface's Gary Cox.

Dec 22/07 - Another Home and Home Split
Saints 6 Steelers 5 Game Summary
Playing their last game before the holiday break, the Saints looked to increase their lead on the Steelers.

On this night, the visitors scored first but the Saints came back a minute later on the powerplay when Gingera scored his 40th of the year. Watt gave the Saints their first lead at 9:47 only to have Selkirk tie it up at two. The Saints led after one on Leclair's 21st of the year.

The Steelers evened the game up again a minute into the second only to see Watt regain the lead for the Saints with his 24th of the season. Midway through the period, the game was tied at four until Simchuk scored with six minutes remaining to once again put the Saints up by a goal. Only a Selkirk goal with three minutes left meant the teams headed into the third tied at 5-5.

In the final period, Gingera's powerplay goal with 6:26 left gave the Saints their 5th lead of the game and they held on for an important 6-5 victory.

Dec 21/07 - Steelers Tighten Race For First
Saints 3 Steelers 4 Game Summary
The Saints started the front end of their back-to-back pre-holiday games with another Friday night in Selkirk.

With the only goal of the first being off of Carriere's stick, his 3rd, the Saints held a 1-0 lead after one. A shorthanded goal by Simchuk :15 into the second made it a two goal lead for the visitors. This seemed to wake the Steelers up as they went on to score three unanswered goals in the period to take the lead after two, 3-2.

Carriere's second goal of the game, this time on the powerplay at 4:21 tied the game up and it was going to be another close Friday night finish at the Selkirk Rec Centre. The Steelers sent their fans home happy when they scored the winner with just over seven minutes left to make it a 4-3 final.

Dec 18/07 - Saints No Match For Flyers
Saints 7 Flyers 2 Game Summary
Playing at a neutral rink has become commonplace for the Saints and Flyers as they continued their divisional rivalry at Southdale on Tuesday night.

Kirkpatrick started off the scoring with his 16th of the year but the Flyers responded two minutes later to make it 1-1. Gingera continued his assault on the Saints record book with his 38th of the year to make it 2-1. Leclair's 20th with just over three minutes remaining in the first made it 3-1 after one.

The Flyers got back to within one five and a half minutes into the second. Watt regained the two goal spread for the Saints when he scored his 21st shortly after. Chartier's goal off a goal mouth scramble made it 5-2 and that held up until Watt's second of the game with :22 left on the clock made it 6-2 after two for the Saints.

In the third, the Saints got into penalty trouble...and only managed five shots on the Winkler net but that was all that was needed. The only goal of the period was Gingera's 39th and the Saints left the suddenly friendly confines of Southdale with a 7-2 win.

Dec 15/07 - Saints Increase Addison Lead
Saints 5 Stampeders 3 Game Summary
The Saints headed into Saturday nights matchup against the Stampeders looking to extend their lead in the close Addison Division race.

A penalty to MacKinnon could have given the Stamps some early life. But following the penalty kill, and straight from the box, MacKinnon opened the scoring with his 16th of the year. Watt made it 2-0 on the powerplay when he scored his 20th with 3:20 left.

Swan Valley got back to within one :33 into the second period but Simchuk's 12th at 7:31 regained the Saints two-goal lead as the teams headed to the third.

The game opened up in the third and Hayduk capitalized as he netted his 7th to make it 4-1. However, with Massicotte serving a double minor, the Stamps were not ready to give up as they scored two powerplay goals :27 apart midway through the period to make it a one goal game at 4-3. The Saints finally put the game away when Kirkpatrick got one back on the powerplay with seven minutes left to make it a 5-3 final for the Saints.

Dec 14/07 - Old Time Hockey North of 50
Saints 8 Blizzard 1 Game Summary
OCN hosted the Saints on the start of their final trip north of the season. The Saints had not given up more than a goal a game against the Blizzard this season.

The long bus trip didn't seem to bother the Saints as they jumped on the Blizzard early when MacKinnon scored his 15th of the year at 2:28 in. Chartier extended the visitors lead to 2-0 when he scored his 12th just over eight minutes in. The Saints took a 3-0 lead into the dressing room after Simchuk's 11th of the year midway through the period.

Four minutes into the 2nd, OCN got one behind Dreger but Gingera regained the two goal lead a little over a minute later when he lit the lamp for his 37th. Watt's 18th with six minutes left made it a commanding 5-1 Saints lead after two.

In the third, Kirkpatrick extended the lead with a shorthanded breakaway and Goertzen scored on a goalmouth scramble to make it a 7-1 Saints advantage. Shortly afterward, the teams decided to exchanged their Xmas pleasantries and a line brawl ensued. After the officials figured out who could stay and who could go (the Saints losing Dreger and King), Hayduk put the final nail in the coffin when he scored his 6th of the year and the Saints left The Pas with a convincing 8-1 win.

Dec 9/07 - A Fantastic Effort at Century
Saints 8 Blues 3 Game Summary
Three games in three nights is usually a teams worst nightmare, but Sunday at Century, the Saints took full advantage of a clearly undisciplined Blues team.

The Blues took advantage of early Saints penalties to take a 2-0 lead. Gingera's 1st of the night, on the powerplay, made it 2-1 after one.

The visitors took control of the game in the second with Mistelbacher's 17th followed 10 minutes later by Leclair's 19th to hold a 3-1 lead with one period to play.

In the third, the Saints continued the onslaught and Gingera's 2nd of the night made it 4-1 two minutes in. A Saints powerplay goal at 7:07 and an ensuing powerplay gave the Saints another opportunity, which they capitalized on when Mistelbacher scored his second of the night. Macaulay scored the Saints 5th powerplay goal of the night to make it 7-2. Gingera completed his hat trick midway through the period before the final goal of the game was scored by the Blues to make it an 8-3 final in favour of the Saints.

Dec 8/07 - Lackluster 1st Buries Saints
Saints 3 Steelers 6 Game Summary
Playing the back end of a home-and-home series, the Saints had plans to sweep the weekend from the Steelers.

But early on in Saturday's game, things didn't look good as the visitors from Selkirk scored early and often (3 goals on their first 6 shots) to put the Saints in an early 3-0 hole. A goaltending change by the Saints held off the Steelers for a bit but two more Selkirk goals before the end of the period left it at 5-0 after one.

With six minutes gone in the second, Hayduk took on Selkirk's tough guy and held his own. Selkirk extended their lead to 6-0 midway through the 2nd which was followed shortly afterward by Chartier's decisive victory over his Steeler counterpart. This seemed to wake the Saints up as Hayduk's 5th of the year put the Saints on the board. A late period Massicotte fight ended the periods fireworks and the teams headed for a break after 40 minutes.

Gingera opened the scoring in the 3rd with his 32nd of the year just 2:12 in. Another fight, this a victory by Buors, kept the Steelers on their toes. The Saints finished off the scoring for the evening, making it 6-3, when Gingera notched his league leading 33rd with seven minutes left. Sparks did fly at the end of the game when a squirmish in the corner turned into a game ending decision for King.

Dec 7/07 - Friday Night Special in Steeltown
Saints 4 Steelers 2 Game Summary
Playing their third straight Friday night in Selkirk against the Steelers, the Saints were looking to take stay away from a shoot-out.

And they started off the night on the right foot after Buors gave the Saints a lead they wouldn't give up when he scored at 12:30 on the powerplay. Chartier extended the Saints lead when he notched his 11th with three minutes left in the period. A late Selkirk goal made it a 2-1 Saints lead after one.

The only goal of the second was Gingera's 30th of the year midway through the period that gave the Saints a two-goal lead heading into the third. The Steelers got back to within one with eight and a half minutes left. But Gingera's 2nd of the night, this time on the powerplay, gave the Saints a 4-2 advantage which they would hold onto and take the rubber match of their Friday games.

Dec 5/07 - Blowout in Beausejour
Saints 6 Blades 2 Game Summary
With a shoot-out loss to the Blades still fresh in their minds from their last meeting, the Saints traveled to Beausejour with plans to reinforce their hold on second in the Addison.

And who else to lead the charge but team captain Justin Leclair. Leclair opened the scoring five and a half minutes in and widened the gap to 2-0 when he scored his 17th of the year a minute later. The Leclair-Watt-Carriere line continued its recent assault as they teamed up for the Saints third goal when Watt netted his 18th to make it 3-0 after one.

In the second, Leclair's powerplay goal at 2:29 gave him the hat-trick and made in 4-0 Saints. Gingera's 29th twelve minutes in and Mistelbacher's 16th with 1:30 left made it 6-0 Saints with a period left.

The Saints were held scoreless in the third but Beausejour did manage to put two behind Potvin to make it a 6-2 Saints win.

Dec 2/07 - Road Victory Moves Saints Into Second
Saints 5 Natives 3 Game Summary
The Saints made their first trip to Neepawa this season and came home with an important win and two points.

In the first period, the teams were even as the Saints held a one shot advantage but the teams remained tied following Mistelbacher's 15th of the year with just under four minutes remaining.

The Saints took control of the game in the second, outshooting the home squad 18-9 and outscoring them 4-1. Surprisingly, all of the scoring occurred in the second half of the period with Simchuk starting it off with his 10th of the year. Watt's 17th with six minutes remaining made it 3-1 but a Neepawa goal :06 later brought the Natives back to within one. But the Saints rebounded and got the two goal lead right back on Jeffery's 7th :13 after the Neepawa goal. Gingera extended the lead to 5-2 with his team leading 28th and the Saints headed to the dressing room with a 5-2 lead.

Neepawa scored the only goal midway through the final period and the Saints held on for a 5-3 road victory.

Nov 30/07 - Another Friday Night Shoot-out in Selkirk
Saints 3 Steelers 4 (SO) Game Summary
A week after their dramatic (and somewhat questionable) shoot-out win last Friday in Selkirk, the Saints returned to the scene of the crime on Friday.

The first and last three minutes were all that were needed for scoring in the first period. After the Steelers opened the scoring two minutes in, Watt's 16th of the year with 2:32 remaining evened it at one after one. Selkirk regained the lead in the second but MacKinnon's powerplay goal once again evened the game as we headed to the third period.

Leclair's 15th of the season two minutes into the third gave the Saints their first lead of the game at 3-2 but it was short-lived as the Steelers scored three minutes later to keep the game tied and the teams headed for overtime. The Saints certainly had their chances in overtime with Selkirk handing the Saints a man-advantage but the visitors couldn't capitalize and the teams headed for their weekly Friday night shoot-out at the Rec Centre.

But this week it would be the the hometown Steelers who would prevail and send their division rivals home with a 4-3 shoot-out loss.

Nov 29/07 - Century Unkind To Saints
Saints 4 Blues 10 Game Summary
After a well played game against Winkler on Tuesday, the Saints faced another Addison Division rival, the Blues, on Thursday.

The Blues came out strong in the first and took an early 1-0 lead. Kirkpatrick's 12th of the year evened it up but that's as good as it would get for the Saints this night. Winnipeg South scored three late goals to chase Potvin from the game and take a 4-1 lead after one.

The second period was relatively uneventful until the Blues scored with just over five minutes left to make it 5-1. The remainder of the second was a steady stream to the penalty box by both teams including the eventual ejection of the Blues coach.

In the final 20 minutes, the floodgates opened with the two teams combining for eight goals. The Saints three goals of the period were scored by Kirkpatrick, with his second of the game early in the period. Carriere and Leclair rounded out the scoring for a 10-4 final in favour of the Blues.

Nov 27/07 - Saints Chill Flyers
Saints 6 Flyers 1 Game Summary
On a night when only the hardiest hockey fans ventured out (even the Flyers team bus refused to budge), the Saints took on division rival Winkler Flyers at Sam Southern Arena.

The first period was close as both teams had their chances but Simchuk's 9th of the year made it 1-0 Saints after one. And that's as close as the Flyers would come.

In the second, the Leclair-Watt-Carriere line came to life. Following Watt's 15th of the year just under two minutes in, Leclair made it 3-0 under a minute later. And on a powerplay four minutes later, Leclair's 2nd of the game and 13th of the year made it 4-0 Saints. However, while on the powerplay, a miscue at the Flyers blueline turned the puck over and the Flyers took advantage, scoring with just under six minutes remaining in the period to make it 4-1 Saints after two.

In the 3rd, Chartier extended the Saints lead to 5-1 with his 10th of the year 11 minutes in. But the highlight reel goal of the night was MacKinnon's Bobby Orr-ish effort that closed out the scoring with six minutes left and the Saints earned two points in the close Addison Division standings as they won 6-1.

Nov 27/07 - Chartier Named to Team West
The Winnipeg Saints are excited to announce that forward Brett Chartier has been selected to Team West for the 2008 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge which runs from Dec. 29 to Jan. 8 in London, Ont.

Chartier has provided great secondary scoring this season on a veteran Saints team that has just a handful of rookies on its roster. In 28 games, he has ten goals and 20 points.

Nov 23/07 - Saints Return Favour in Selkirk
Saints 5 Steelers 4 (SO) Game Summary
After a bit of a break in the Saints schedule, and with their captain back in the lineup, the team headed north on Hwy 9 to take on the Steelers.

The Steelers took the lead on the powerplay but the Saints came right back and evened it at one on Kirkpatrick's 11th of the year. The Saints than took advantage on their own powerplay when Leclair, back from injury, netted his own 11th of the season to give the Saints a 2-1 lead after one.

Selkirk evened it up early in the second and took the lead just over eight minutes in. Midway through the period, Goertzen's 2nd tied the game up once again, this time at 3. Gingera's powerplay goal at 14:44 made it a 4-3 Saints lead but a late Steeler powerplay goal with :25 left in the period gave us the fourth tie of the game with 20 minutes to play.

Both teams had numerous opportunities in the third and overtime to take the win but neither could capitalize. The Saints even thought they had won the game when they scored with :01 left in overtime but that was waved off. In the shoot-out, Geddes scored the only goal and Potvin shut the door on the Steelers as the Saints picked up the shoot-out win.

Nov 17/07 - Selkirk Steals Win From Saints
Saints 3 Steelers 4 Game Summary
The Saints hosted Selkirk in a matchup of the top two teams in the Addison Division.

And in this back and forth game, it was the Steelers who took the first lead almost nine minutes in. Gingera's 26th of the year (tops in the MJHL) made it a 1-1 game. Following a Selkirk goal with just over two minutes remaining in the period, Hayduk knotted it up once again with his 4th of the year and the teams headed to the dressing rooms tied up at two after one period.

The Saints took their first lead of the game early in the second on Watt's 14th. But we headed into the 3rd tied up once again on a late period Steelers goal.

Both teams had their chances in the third and it looked like we were heading to overtime. That was until the Steelers got another by Dreger with two and a half minutes remaining, a goal that the Saints couldn't match as the Saints lost 4-3 at home for only the third time this year.

Nov 14/07 - Beausejour Ends Saints Streak
Saints 3 Blades 4 (SO) Game Summary
It's not like the Saints haven't seen enough of the Blades lately. Tonight the Blades played less than cordial hosts.

The Saints jumped out to an early 1st period lead on Geddes 4th of the year 3:47 in. Gingera extended the Saints lead just over a minute later and it looked like the Saints would once again be in control. The Blades would score the only goal of the second period and the teams headed to the third with the Saints up 2-1.

The Blades tied it at two just two minutes in and that held up until Geddes notched his second of the night at 5:45 of the period. But once again, Beausejour tied it up, this time with just over nine minutes gone in the period. The remainder of regulation time remained scoreless and the teams headed to overtime. Overtime saw the Blades outshoot the Saints 6-2 but to no avail and the teams headed for the dreaded shoot-out. As fate would have it, the Blades would prevail in the shoot-out and take the game 4-3. An important, yet disappointing, single point for the Saints.

Nov 13/07 - Saints Fight Through Natives
Saints 5 Natives 2 Game Summary
With an opportunity to move into first in the Addison Division, the Saints took on the Neepawa Natives Tuesday at Southdale.

Both teams had numerous powerplay opportunities through the first two periods but neither team could break through. But once Gingera scored his 1st of the night early in the third did both teams realize that the flood gates had opened and there was a game to be won. MacKinnon extended the lead to 2-0 eleven seconds later. Gingera's 23rd of the year made it a three goal lead and it looked like the Saints were on their way to win number nine in a row. But the Natives had other plans and two quick goals made it a 3-2 Saints lead with lots of time left.

After Gingera completed his hat-trick with just under twelve minutes remaining, the Natives seemed to take the high road and try to fight their way back. Following a few poorly planned Neepawa scraps, Mistelbacher's empty net goal finished off the Natives and sent them packing for the bus ride home with a 5-2 Saints win.

Nov 10/07 - Saints Sweep Through North
Saints 2 Blizzard 1 Game Summary
Saints 4 Stampeders 2 Game Summary
The team headed north to take on OCN Friday night and Swan Valley Saturday night.

On Friday, after a scoreless 1st period, Chartier opened the scoring six and a half minutes into the second with his 9th of the year. The Saints powerplay clicked midway through the third as Mistelbacher lit the lamp for the 12th time this season. An OCN goal with just over five minutes left made it a one goal game. Despite the Blizzard throwing everything at Dreger and the Saints in the final minutes, the team held on for a well-deserved 2-1 victory.

Following their victory Friday night, the Saints bused back to Swan River to rest up for their Saturday game against the Stampeders. This time, another rookie opened the scoring for the Saints as Macaulay capitalized on the powerplay for his 2nd of the year four minutes in. The Stampeders evened the score at one just a minute into the second but Mistelbacher's goal two and a half minutes later gave the Saints a lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Kirkpatrick's 10th five and a half minutes in signaled the end for the Stampeders starting goaltender. Carriere's 1st goal as a Saint :22 into the third extended the lead to 4-1. Only a late goal by the Stampeders made it a 4-2 final and the Saints headed soth with a hard fought two win weekend.

Nov 6/07 - Saints Frost Blades At Southdale
Saints 10 Blades 2 Game Summary
A frigid rink didn't cool down the Saints as they continued to light the lamp against the Blades.

After once again handing the Blades an early lead, the Saints tied the game on Jeffery's shorthanded effort. Gingera's team high 20th of the year gave the Saints a short-lived 2-1 lead until the visitors from Beausejour tied it back up at two. That second Blades goal seemed to awaken the Saints.

Gingera's 2nd of the night made it 3-2 and they never looked back. MJHL Player of the Week Watt scored on the powerplay midway through the period and Chartier's 8th made it 5-2. Hayduk's goal with just under two minutes remaining in the second made it 6-2.

The Saints continued the pressure in the third with MacKinnon notching his 10th followed shortly afterward with goals by Buors (through the five-hole) and Jeffery's 2nd of the night. Dyrkis, the games first star, scored his 2nd of the season with three and a half minutes remaining to make it a 10-2 final. Tonights win was the Saints 6th straight win and third in the last week against the Blades, in the process outshooting the Blades 194-87 in the three games.

Nov 4/07 - Saints Shutdown Steelers
Saints 2 Steelers 1 Game Summary
The two top teams in the Addison faced off at Dakota on Sunday night.

The much anticipated first meeting of the year turned out to be all it was hyped to be. The Saints took a late first period lead on Gingera's 19th and extended the lead to two on Simchuk's 8th just three minutes into the second. When the Steelers scored 13 minutes into the second to close the lead to 2-1, you knew it was going to come down to the wire.

Both teams had excellent chances from that point on but both goalies stood on their heads making save after save. Dreger's toe save on a shot from the slot (without his stick) was instrumental in the win as he kicked out 41 of 42 shots to get the win. His counterpart from the Steelers in turn stopped 31 of 33.

Nov 3/07 - Saints Turn It Up Against Blades
Saints 11 Blades 5 Game Summary
The Saints handed the Blades an early lead but stormed back to win 11-5.

Following two early Blades goals, the shocked Saints began the comeback on Mistelbacher's 10th of the year. Gingera's 17th (100th MJHL goal) left the game tied at two after 20 minutes.

Realizing the Blades were there to play, the Saints came out strong in the second and hit the scoresheet early. MacKinnon's goal :52 in followed by Kirkpatrick's 9th ten seconds later gave the Saints a quick 4-2 lead. Simchuk's goal just over five minutes in extended the lead to 5-2. The teams then traded goals with Gingera's 2nd of the game and Hayduk's 2nd of the season making it 7-4 after two periods of play.

The Saints continued their offensive explosion in the third as a Geddes shorthanded goal, a Buors powerplay goal, and Mistelbacher's 2nd of the night made it 10-4 before the period was half over. After the Blades scored on the powerplay, the final goal of the evening was Brett Chartier's with :30 remaining to make it an 11-5 final.

Oct 31/07 - No Tricks, Just Treats...Watt Lights Up Blizzard
Saints 5 Blizzard 1 Game Summary
On a night usually set aside for candy and costumes, it was a rare Halloween home game for the Saints.

After a quiet first period that saw no penalties and only a lone goal by the Blizzard, Brett Chartier opened the scoring for the Saints four minutes into the second period with his 6th of the year. Watt followed that up with two of his own, the second with only :03 left to make it 3-1 Saints with a period to play.

Brock Friesen made the most of his call up scoring his first MJHL goal six minutes into the third period to extend the Saints lead to 4-1. Simchuk rounded out the scoring with his 6th of the year to make it a 5-1 final in favour of the Saints.

Oct 30/07 - Saints Slice Through Blades
Saints 8 Blades 1 Game Summary
The Saints hosted the Blades on Tuesday in the first of three home games in the next week against their Addison division rivals.

And the home team was not very hospitable as they jumped into an early 1-0 lead behind a powerplay goal by Simchuk, his 5th of the year. Geddes made it 2-0 eight minutes in and the strong Saints powerplay was not wasted as Watt scored his 9th of the year. Gingera closed out the 1st period scoring to make it a 4-0 Saints lead after one.

The Saints continued the pressure in the second but it was the Blades breaking the shutout 8:28 in. Shortly after, Brett Chartier's 5th regained the four goal lead and Watt's second powerplay goal of the night gave the Saints a 6-1 advantage after 40 minutes.

Mistelbacher started the 3rd period off on the right foot with a shorthanded breakaway goal. Following King's manhandling of a Blades player in a mid-period tustle, the only other action was Gingera's highlight reel goal with three minutes remaining to make it an 8-1 final.

Oct 28/07 - Gingera A Matinee Idol
Saints 7 Flyers 4 Game Summary
The Saints didn't have much time to think about their Saturday night loss as they traveled to Winkler for a Sunday matinee matchup against the Flyers.

Giving up three 1st period powerplay goals certainly didn't help their chances. Only Brett Chartier's 4th of the year with under a minute remaining gave the Saints some life as the 1st period ended with the Flyers leading 3-1.

The visitors turned their fortunes around in the second as Gingera continued his weekend assault just over six minutes in with his 12th of the year. Watt's goal at 9:53 on the powerplay evened it up and Gingera's 2nd of the afternoon at 11:41 gave the Saints their 1st lead of the game. The Saint's 4th straight powerplay goal, this time by Macaulay, gave them a 5-3 lead after two.

MacKinnon's unassisted marker 7:11 into the third extended the Saints lead to 6-3. Gingera completed his second hat trick of the weekend with just over five minutes left. A last second goal by the Flyers made it a 7-4 final as the Saints continued their early season dominance of the Flyers.

Oct 27/07 - Saints Drop Home and Home Series to KIngs
Saints 4 Kings 6 Game Summary
Saturday night the Saints met up with the Dauphin Kings at Terry Sawchuk Arena.

The Kings started off strong as they took a two goal leaf after one period. The Saints highlight of the period was Hayduk gaining the decision against Dauphin's 6'8" Lane.

The Saints woke up in the second on two straight goals by Gingera (his 9th and 10th of the year). Dauphin fought back and scored two more of their own shortly after. The two goal tradeoff continued as Mistelbacher's 8th followed by Gingera's completion of his hat trick made it even at 4 after forty minutes.

In the third, an early powerplay goal by Dauphin regained their lead. The Saints continued to press but a late insurance goal by the Kings gave the visitors a 6-4 victory.

Oct 23/07 - Saints Late Surge Not Enough Against Kings
Saints 5 Kings 6 Game Summary
A Tuesday bus trip to Dauphin gave the Saints a chance to split their season series in Dauphin.

But an early penalty to the Saints gave the Kings powerplay an opportunity which they didn't waste. Leclair's goal a little over a minute later evened it up but two more Dauphin goals made it 3-1 after one.

The Saints drew to within one on McCarthy's shorthanded effort early in the third. However, once again, a Saints goal was followed by two by the King's which seemed to put the game out of reach for the Saints as they fell behind 5-2 with one period left to play.

The third period brought out a different team effort as the comeback started with Brett Chartier's goal 8:33 in. Watt's goal with 6:15 remaining made it 5-4 with time winding down in the third. A late penalty to the King's was just what the doctor ordered as the Saint's powerplay evened it at 5 when Buors scored with 1:44 left in the game.

The game was decided 1:41 in when Dauphin netted their 6th of the night, sending the Saints home with a 6-5 loss but giving them an important point in the Addison standings.

Saints Still Looking For Billets
The Saints are in search of homes for players who have committed to play for the team in the upcoming season. Billets are paid a monthly fee of $300 per player.

When you elect to house a member of the team, you are required to provide room and board for the player. This includes providing nutritious food that is available for him to prepare or for the billets to prepare for the player. In addition, billets must be able to provide the player with his own room. The player is expected to respect the home and rules of the billet, clean up after themselves, and keep their room tidy.

If you're able and interested in becoming a Saints billet, please contact Frank Muska at 237.3226 or by e-mail at frankmuska@yahoo.ca.

Oct 21/07 - Saints Have Wiens' Number
Saints 4 Wolverines 3 Game Summary
On Saturday night in Waywayseecappo, the Saints took an early lead and held on at the end to beat the Wolverines.

After MacKinnon opened the scoring 1:38 in, it took the Wolverines 13 minutes to even it up. Not until Mistelbacher's 7th of the year with just under two minutes remaining did the Saints have a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

With Watt extending the lead to 3-1 in the second and Buors' goal on the powerplay a minute into the third, a road win looked imminent. But the Wolverines fought back and made it 4-3 with 2:05 left. A late penalty to the Saints gave the Wolverines a chance but the team held on for a 4-3 win.

Oct 17/07 - Blades No Match for Saints
Saints 7 Blades 1 Game Summary
The Saints took the trip to Beausejour on Wednesday following a lackluster performance the previous night against Portage.

MacKinnon's 6th of the season at 6:45 gave the Saints a 1-0 lead. Gingera's shorthanded effort with 5:30 left in the period made it 2-0 after one. The Blades made it a one goal lead halfway through the second until Leclair's 1st of the night a minute later regained a two goal lead for the Saints. Jeffery's 4th of the year, again on the powerplay, made it 4-1 Saints after two.

In the third period, the Saints put the game out of reach with goals :37 apart by Kirkpatrick and Leclair. Leclair completed his hat trick with just under 3:30 left in the game, on another feed from Brett Chartier (his third assist of the game).

Oct 16/07 - Saints Nap Against Portage
Saints 1 Terriers 4 Game Summary
For a team that recently had shown promise, tonights game against Portage showed you can never take a night off, especially as a team.

After the Terriers scored goals two minutes apart late in the first, the Saints had dug themselves a hole that they'd never get out of. And when Portage scored with just over six minutes left in the second, things looked bleak as the Saints got themselves into penalty trouble.

When Jeffery made it 3-1 late in the third, it gave the Saints some hope. But that was short-lived as the 4th Portage goal put the game away and the Saints lost at home for the first time this year.

Oct 10/07 - Dreger Stones Blues - Saints 3 Blues 0 Game Summary
After a successful Showcase Weekend, the Saints got back to work on Tuesday against the Blues. The goalies had their work cut out for them as both teams had numerous opportunities through two and a half periods.

With overtime looming, the Saints finally broke through with Gingera's 7th of the season with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Shortly afterward, Goertzen's first as a Saint extended the lead to two when he one-timed Simchuk's face-off pass.

With the Blue's net empty for an extra attacker, MacKinnon scored his 5th of the season giving Dreger his second win and second shutout in as many games as a Saint.

Oct 6/07 - Saints Sweep Showcase
Saints 2 Natives 0 Game Summary
Saints 3 Wolverines 2 Game Summary
The Saints opened the Showcase weekend on Friday with a matchup against the Neepawa Natives. With newly acquired Jordan Dreger between the pipes, the Saints took an early lead on Gingera's 6th of the year. Dreger remained steady and the one goal difference remained until Watt's 4th of the year with less than four minutes remaining in the game made it a 2-0 final for the Saints and Dreger's first MJHL win and shutout.

On Saturday night, the Saints continued their early season series against the Wolverines. The teams traded goals in the first two periods with Dyrkis and Mistelbacher scoring for the Saints. With almost six and a half minutes gone in the third, Watt's 2nd goal of the weekend gave the Saints a lead that they wouldn't relinquish as they won both their games of the Showcase.

Oct 3/07 - Saints Blitz Blades - Saints 11 Blades 1 Game Summary
With nine, yes nine, goals to open the first period, the Saints coasted through the final two periods for an 11-1 win. Just over two minutes in, Hayduk's 1st MJHL goal started the onslaught. That was the longest break between Saints goals until it was 7-0. Mistelbacher's first period hat trick was nestled around goals by MacKinnon, Kirkpatrick, Simchuk, McCarthy and Watt. Only a late powerplay goal by the Blades made it 9-1 after one.

After outshooting the Blades 23-7 in the first, the Saints continued in the second outshooting the home squad 18-6. But the Blades netminder held strong and only allowed Leclair's 5th of the year. In the third, once again taking the play to the Blades, the Saints only goal on their 15 shots was Geddes 1st as an MJHLer late in the game.

Overall, a good win to head into the Showcase Weekend at Dakota with the final shots being 56-17 for the Saints.

Sept 30/07 - Terriers Nip Saints - Saints 3 Terriers 5 Game Summary
After Friday nights convincing win against Addison rival Winkler Flyers, the team traveled west on the Trans-Canada to visit the Portage Terriers.

Kirkpatrick continued his early season scoring prowess with his 5th of the year on the powerplay. The lead was short lived as Portage scored during their own man advantage 2 minutes later and took the lead for good with time winding down in the period. The Terriers extended their lead in the second and with another early in the third before the Saints mounted their comeback.

Simchuk's third of the year followed by Kirkpatrick's second of the night got the Saints within one. However, with Potvin pulled in an effort to score the equalizer, the Terriers potted one into the empty net for the 5-3 win.

Sept 28/07 - Saints Down Flyers - Saints 6 Flyers 2 Game Summary
The Saints have acquired defenceman Jesse Goertzen from the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for future considerations. Goertzen, 19, did not appear in a game with the Bombers this season.

Sept 25/07 - Kings Crown Saints - Saints 2 Kings 3 Game Summary
The Saints headed to Dauphin in an attempt to win their first road game of the season.

The Kings scored late in the first to take a 1-0 lead after one. After a scoreless second, McCarthy scored his 3rd of the year at 11:09 of the 3rd to tie it at one. Kirkpatrick's 2nd a minute and a half later gave the Saints a short lived lead as the Kings retook the lead a minute later.

Dauphin sealed the win with a late goal and the Saints headed south still looking for that elusive road win.

Sept 24/07 - Blizzard Stymied by Friesen - Saints 4 Blizzard 1 Game Summary
Dusty Friesen's first MJHL start was a memorable one as he shut down the visitors from OCN.

The only shot to beat Friesen was early in the first period. Kirkpatrick's goal on the powerplay evened the game at one after one. In the second, another powerplay goal, this time by McCarthy, gave the Saints a 2-1 lead after two.

The third period saw it's share of big hits, big saves and numerous scoring opportunities by both teams but Friesen stood tall. McCarthy's second of the game followed by a goal by Simchuk iced the game for the Saints and sent the Blizzard home on a losing note.

Sept 22/07 - Chartier on the Airwaves
Saints defenceman Remi Chartier's interview with CKSB Radio-Canada. Part One Part Two

Sept 18/07 - Saints Fly By Winkler in Third - Saints 8 Flyers 2 Game Summary
The Saints faced off against the Winkler Flyers on Tuesday night at Dakota.

Once again, the home team started strong as less than a minute into the game, Gingera scored his 1st of the year and gave the Saints a lead they'd never surrender. The teams opened it up in the 2nd period with four goals including Massicotte's 1st and Gingera's 2nd of the game. The coaching staff must have a great second intermission motivation speech as the boys came out strong in the 3rd. Jeffery's goal six and a half minutes in extended the Saints lead to 4-2.

With Winkler getting into penalty trouble midway through the third, the Saints took full advantage, scoring three power play goals in :19 (Watt with a single and MacKinnon with a pair) to blow the game wide open. Brett Chartier's 1st MJHL goal later in the third rounded out the scoring and the Saints sent the Flyers home with a 8-2 drubbing.

Sept 15/07 - Late Surge Too Much For Wolverines Saints 6 Wolverines 4 Game Summary MJHL Postgame Interviews
The Saints scored five third-period goals to win their home opener and send the Wolverines home winless after their first two games of the season. Five minutes into the game, Tyler Mistelbacher opened the scoring for the Saints. The lead was short-lived as the Wolverines converted on the powerplay to make it 1-1 after one. In the second, the visitors scored early on to take a one goal lead and increased their lead with another powerplay goal to make it 3-1 after two. Whatever was said in the dressing room between periods must have made an impact as the Saints looked like a different team compared to the first 40 minutes. Mistelbacher's second of the game under a minute in made it 3-2. The Saints tied it up on a great individual effort from Michael Falk but the Wolverines fought back a minute later with a goal of their own to make it 4-3 Waywayseecappo. But the game changed quickly with under four minutes remaining. Saints captain Justin Leclair scored twice in the final four minutes along with a single goal from Reave MacKinnon to make it a 6-4 Saints final.

Sept. 9/07 - Saints Win Pair of Weekend Games
With the coaching staff starting to make cuts from camp, the remaining team hopefuls had their final chances to make an impression as the Saints took on Selkirk and Beausejour over the weekend. In Selkirk on Friday night, the teams traded goals through the first two periods with Chartier and MacKinnon lighting the lamp for the Saints. However, it was MacKinnon's second of the game midway through the third that proved to be the difference as the Saints skated out of Selkirk with a 3-2 win. On Saturday, the Saints made their first visit to Beausejour to take on the new look Blades. The Saints came out and took a 3-1 lead after one on two goals by Gilmour and a single from Mistelbacher. The teams traded goals in the second with McCarthy scoring for the visiting Saints. The third saw the Saints score two more, by Hayduk and Pruden, to make it a 6-2 Saints win. The Saints open the 2007/08 season on Saturday, September 15th at Dakota against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Game time is 7:30.

Sept. 5/07 - Saints Remain Unbeaten in Pre-Season
Following a lively intersquad game on Monday night, the Saints took on the MJHL champion Selkirk Steelers on Tuesday. Veteran defenceman Trent King opened the scoring 59 seconds in to give the Saints the early lead. That goal stood up until halfway through the second when Selkirk tied it up on the powerplay. That seemed to wake the Saints up as they scored three goals (Acheson, Geddes, and Chartier) in a four minute span soon afterward to break the game wide open. In the third, Mitchell and Stelmack mixed in goals around three Steeler markers to make it a 6-4 Saints win.

Aug. 28/07 - Saints Rookies Start 40th Season With Win
With a solid group of rookies battling to make the team, the Saints took on the Blues rookies on Tuesday night at Dakota and came out on the winning end 4-3. Scoring for the Saints were Jordan Davies, Catlan Eshelman (from three-point range), Lucas Froese, and Derek Whitehill. The next home pre-season game is Tuesday, September 4th versus the Selkirk Steelers. Gametime is 7:30.

June 7/07 - Alumni Golf Tournament
With almost 100 golfers braving the rain, the Saints 4th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament was held on Wednesday June 6th at the South Interlake Golf and Country Club in Warren. Congratulations go out to the team of Marc Pittet, John Angus, Curtis Shewchuk, and Jerry Therous on shooting a 61 and taking home first place. Thanks again to all the golfers for making it a great day, despite the weather.

June 14/07 - Mistelbacher To Attend Team Canada Under-18 Camp
The Saints and MJHL are excited to announce that forward Jordan Mistelbacher has been invited to Team Canada’s Under-18 selection camp in Calgary from Aug. 4-9. Mistelbacher, 17, just completed his rookie season with the Saints. In 50 regular season games, he had five goals and 26 assists for 31 points, while playing along side his older brother, Tyler. He also chipped in two goals and seven points in nine playoff games. The Winnipeg product spent time in the Western Hockey League with the Everett Silvertips, where he had an assist in three regular season games and two assists in nine playoff games. Mistelbacher was one of five MJHLers that were part of Team Manitoba for the Canada Games in February. Of the 40 players invited to the selection camp, Mistelbacher is one of only six players that did not play Major Junior last season. After the selection camp, Canada will fly overseas to compete in the U-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament, from Aug. 14-18 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

June 4/07 - And The New Coach of the Saints is...
A familiar face will be returning to the MJHL to become the Head Coach of the Winnipeg Saints. The Saints are pleased to announce that Doug Stokes will be taking over behind the Saints bench. Stokes' success in the MJHL is well known, having success with both the Winnipeg South Blues and the Selkirk Steelers. Two years ago, Stokes took over the reins of the SJHL's Flin Flon Bombers and when his contract ran out after the 2006/07 season, he decided to head back to Winnipeg.

June 3/07 - MJHL Draft Day...Saints done.
In the first round, the Saints selected forward Matt Glowa. Matt is a 7th round draft pick of the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders. This past season, the 5'6" forward played Bantam AAA for the Winnipeg Sharks. The second round brought the Saints Grunthal's Lucas Froese. An 11th round pick of the Regina Pats, Lucas measures up at 5'10". Winnipeg Hawks forward Mark Stone was selected in the third round by the Saints. The Brandon Wheat Kings 5th round draft pick is 5'11". In the fourth round, the Saints selected 5'6" Winnipeg Monarchs defenceman Luke Paulsen. With their final pick of the draft, the Saints selected Dustin Bruyere from the Winnipeg Warriors.

May 21/07 - McMillan Heads East
The Winnipeg Saints of the MJHL are pleased to announce that last year's team captain Zack McMillan will be taking the next step in his hockey career with the Acadia Axemen of the CIS. In his final year of junior hockey with the Saints, he totaled 16 goals and 37 assists in 52 games. His leadership continued into the playoffs as he was instrumental in the first round upset of the defending MJHL champion Winnipeg South Blues. The Saints would like to congratulate Zack on this opportunity and wish him the best as an Acadia Axeman.