SPORTS FLASHBACK 2012: Southeast Prairie Thunder are finally Allan Cup winners

Grunthal’s Marv Kornelsen started his quest to win the Senior AAA National Hockey Championship more than a dozen years ago. Finally, the Southeast Prairie Thunder won the coveted Allan Cup, as they defeated the Rosetown Red Wings 4-1 in the national final in Lloydminster.

It was the fourth straight trip to the Allan Cup for the Thunder. The Thunder join the 2003 Ile des Chenes North Stars as Manitoba winners of the national championship.

Make no mistake, the 2012 edition of the Southeast Prairie was Kornelsen’s team. He cobbled this team together several years ago, and kept it going with his tireless efforts and resources, year in and year out. It was an undying commitment to be the best team, on the ice for the best senior hockey played in this country, and to win that national championship.

By all accounts, this was the best team that Marv took to a national championship, which was very evident when it was all said and done, as they came home with the Allan Cup.

The win helps to erase some of the heartbreak from the Thunder’s 2009 loss in overtime to the Bentley Generals in the Allan Cup in Steinbach.

Southeast dominated the 2012 Allan Cup, as they rolled through with four straight victories. They opened the tournament with a narrow 2-1 victory over the Rosetown Red Wings from Saskatchewan; the team they would later meet in the final.

Justin Harris was outstanding in net for the Thunder, as he made 38 saves. Devon Leblanc and Nick Fuher were the Prairie Thunder goal scorers. The third member of that line, Brad Purdie, the former Manitoba Moose, set up both goals.

They then followed that up with a 5-2 victory over the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts from Newfoundland. Brad Purdie again led the way for the Thunder with a goal and three assists, while Devon Leblanc chipped in with a goal and two assists. Nick Fuher, Anders Strome and Ryan Bonnie had the other Southeast goals.

By finishing first in their pool, the Thunder had a bye into Friday’s semi-final, as they did not have to play Wednesday or Thursday. Kornelsen believes that was key to their success, as they came into Friday’s game well rested.

They faced the Grand Falls team again in the semis and they romped to a convincing 7-2 victory, as Tim Plett contributed a goal and two assists, and veteran rearguard Jared Driedger had a pair of assists.

In Saturday’s championship final against Rosetown, broadcast on national TV by TSN, Tim Plett opened the scoring for the Thunder, as he took a pass from Terry Yake, raced down the wing and scored on a perfect shot through the five-hole.

Plett has been with the Thunder for the past five years and has been a dominant player in the Carillon Senior Hockey League, with both Steinbach and Mitchell in recent years.

“This ranks up there as one of the biggest goals I have ever scored. It was pretty exciting.”

That goal stood up until the third, as the game was tied 1-1 after 40 minutes in a tight national championship.

But the Thunder scored three unanswered goals in the third and they held on to win the national title. Steinbach native Rob Smith set up the winning goal by Brad Purdie in the third period. Anders Strome and Devon Leblanc also scored for the Thunder, while Justin Harris made 32 saves.

In addition to Plett, Smith and Driedger, other local players included Dale Butland, backup goaltender Landon Kroeker and player/coach Mike Martens, who won his second Allan Cup, as he was also a member of the North Stars championship team in 2003.

Kornelsen forked over a sizeable bond following their Allan Cup win in Lloydminster in April and the Cup made the rounds with all of the players to their home communities since then. With one or two stops to go in August of 2012, the Allan Cup was on display during the Hanover Agriculture Fair in Grunthal.

Kornelsen says thankfully, the Cup had been unscathed in this summer-long victory tour, with only one or two more stops to go before it was sent back to Toronto for safekeeping.