Sanford Power wins league playoff championship in OT

by Legacy Hockey

Sanford Power won the Elite League playoff championship with a 5-4 overtime victory over MAP South. Photo by Loren Nelson, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Tyler Hennen (Kittson County Central) intercepted an errant clearing pass behind the goal line and stuffed the puck into an open net with 5:32 remaining in overtime as No. 2 seed Sanford Power beat No. 4 seed MAP South 5-4 in the championship game of the Elite League playoffs.

Hennen’s goal came with Sanford Power shorthanded in the 4-on-4 overtime.

Kai Weigel (Moorhead), filling in for injured Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad), made 56 saves to earn the victory.

MAP South trailed 4-2 midway through the third period when Malachi McKinnon (Forest Lake) and Jake Fisher (Cretin-Derham Hall) scored to forge a 4-4 tie and force the 10-minute extra session.

MAP South led 1-0 after the first on a goal by Ryan Flaherty (Edina). Sanford Power rallied to build a 2-1 advantage in the second on goals by Aaron Reierson (Moorhead) and Brock Schultz (East Grand Forks). MAP South's Ben Miller (Hill-Murray) scored in the second to make it 2-2 heading into the third.

Reierson and Landon Jamieson (East Grand Forks) scored third-period goals as Sanford Power built its two-goal advantage. Reierson scored two goals in each of his final four games.

A.J. Reyelts (Proctor) made 28 saves for MAP South.