Jr. Blues, Jets, Sharks and Lumberjacks complete Silver Cup field
Oskar Lindberg had three assists in a 4-3 win on Sunday that sent the Long Beach Sharks to the Silver Cup Championship.
Midwest Division Finals, Game 3: St Louis Jr Blues 6 vs. Peoria Mustangs 3 (St. Louis wins series, 2-1) - The St Louis Jr Blues pulled out a dominant third period to seal their 6-3 win over the Peoria Mustangs. Nick Balestra (2), Cory Robinson, Brandon Bornkamp (2), and Samuel Maddox scored for the Jr Blues, and Jack Power-Wayvon, Jordan Hillman, and Andrej Buchko each notched one for the Mustangs. In net, Sawyer Schmidt made 31 saves for St Louis, and JT Kossakowski stopped 20 shots for Peoria. The St Louis Jr Blues win the series, 2-1, and will advance to the 2017 Silver Cup Championship. Additionally, the Jr Blues become the 2017 Midwest Division Playoff Champions.
East Division Finals, Game 3: Metro Jets 3 vs. Pittsburgh Vengeance 2 (OT) (Metro wins series, 2-1) - A pair from Connor Inger, including an OT winner, pushed the Metro Jets to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Vengeance. With the win, the Metro Jets become the 2017 East Division Playoff Champions, and will advance to the Silver Cup Championship. All three games in the series were decided in overtime. Cam Schwartz also scored for the Jets, and Cam Williams and Brian Dee each notched one for the Vengeance. Metro goaltender Andrew Kormos made 22 saves, while Joel De Simone stopped 47 shots for Pittsburgh.
Coastal Division Finals, Game 3: Long Beach Sharks 4 vs. New England Stars 3 (Long Beach wins series, 2-1) - A pair of goals from Gunther Stange helped lift the Long Beach Sharks to a 4-3 win over the New England Stars. Ricky Regala and Martins Vitolins also scored for the Sharks, and John Krapian, Brandon Hammner, and Ryan Paul each notched one for the Stars. Long Beach goalie Kyle Van Wagner made 25 saves on the night, and Sage Broda and Greg Moon stopped 8 and 12 shots a piece, respectively, for New England. With the win, the Long Beach Sharks become the 2017 Coastal Division Playoff Champions, and will advance to the 2017 Silver Cup Championship.
West Division Finals, Game 3: Granite City Lumberjacks 4 vs. New Ulm Steel 2 (Granite City wins series, 2-1) - An early lead for the Granite City Lumberjacks helped them to a 4-2 victory over the New Ulm Steel. Braden Altena, Casey Esselman, Matthew Moran, and Brady Dahl each scored one for Granite City, and Fritz Belisle and Dylan Leivermann got on the scoreboard for the Steel. Lumberjack net minder Mac Berglove made 19 stops on the night, while Nathan Siclovan stopped 30 shots for New Ulm. With the win, the Granite City Lumberjacks earn the 2017 West Division Playoff Champion title, and advance to the Silver Cup Championship next weekend.
