Thunder to face Bentley in Allan Cup final

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This article was published 17/04/2015 (3289 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach-based Southeast Prairie Thunder will meet Alberta’s Bentley Generals in the Allan Cup finals today at Clarenville, Newfoundland. If that match-up sounds familiar, it was these same two teams that met in the Allan Cup finals right here in Steinbach in 2009, when the Generals defeated the Prairie Thunder 4-3 in double overtime.

The Prairie Thunder, 3-0 at this year’s national tournament, punched their ticket to the finals with a 4-1 victory Friday over the host Clarenville Caribous, while the Generals, also 3-0, needed overtime to get by the Grand Falls Windsor-Cataracts, also from Newfoundland, by a 5-4 score.

Southeast had only 14 skaters in their two round victories Tuesday and Wednesday but reinforcements arrived in time for the playoffs including Steinbach’s Dale Butland, Steinbach native Rob Smith (asistant coach of the Pistons) and St Adolphe native Shawn Limpright.

Del Cowan paced the Thunder in the win over the Caribous with a goal and two assists while Riley Dudar, Dustin Huges and Nick Cowan added singles in the game played in front of 2,000 hometwon supporters at Clarenville. But Friday’s semi-final belonged to Thunder netminder Steve Christie, who made 43 saves as Clarenville outshot Southeast 44-25.

Game time in today’s final is 4:00 p.m. Manitoba time. The game will be broadcast on national television on TSN3 and TSN5. The Prairie Thunder won the Allan Cup championship in 2012.

The Prairie Thunder will be the host team of the 2016 Allan Cup national championship in April, 2016 in Steinbach.