Warriors capture Minto Cup after topping Miners in Game 3
Published
Brampton, ON -- With both the Edmonton Miners and the Whitby Warriors taking home a win in the Minto Cup Finals, the series headed to a do-or-die game three. With Brock Haley’s two-goal performance and a 39-save effort from Kaleb Martin, the Whitby Warriors have won the Minto Cup for the first time since 2013.
The first period was a back-and-forth battle between these two, but Brock Haley put Whitby up with a big outside rip past Melenychuk. The Miners quickly took their first lead of the night, as Davis Dame and Callin Harris added tallies of their own.
The Warriors then went on a two-goal run of their own to regain the lead. With under two minutes left in the first, Jack Royer scored the equalizer getting the Miners back on the board and ending the first period in a 3-3 tie.
Only two goals were scored in the second period, Brock Haley for the Warriors, and Jake Bowen for the Miners. A defensive-heavy period had the final game of the series heading into the third period with things tied up at 4.
Five minutes into the final frame, Jack Budway netted his first goal of the tournament, and it was a big one, giving Whitby a 5-4 lead. Parker Pipher gave Whitby their biggest lead of the night, but Marcus Needham beat Kaleb Martin bringing the Miners back within one.
With just seconds remaining, Davis Dame had an opportunity to tie things up with a penalty shot, but after hitting the post the Whitby Warriors held on to the lead until the final buzzer.
The Whitby Warriors are your 2022 Minto Cup Champions for the seventh time in history, after taking down a gritty Edmonton Miners team 6-5.