Prairie Thunder capture 2015 Allan Cup

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This article was published 19/04/2015 (4065 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Southeast Prairie Thunder from Steinbach captured their second Allan Cup National Senior AAA Hockey Championship Saturday night as they blanked Alberta’s Bentley Generals 2-0 in the national final at Clarenville, Newfoundland, host of the 2015 Allan Cup tournament.

Steve Christie, coming on the heels of a brilliant 43-save performance in the semi-final victory over Clarenville Friday night, stopped all 27 shots he faced to backstop the Thunder to victory. It was just the third championship game shutout in the last 23 years.

Scoreless in the first period, Mark Agnew scored on the powerplay five minutes into the second to put the Thunder on the board. Steinbach Pistons assistant coach Rob Smith, a defenceman for the Thunder, drew an assist on the Agnew goal.

Smith, along with Steinbach’s Dale Butland and St. Adolphe native Shawn Limpright, the former Eastman Select, flew to Newfoundland in time for the semis and finals to bolster the Thunder’s short bench, which had won both their round-robin games. Smith, who was also a member of the Thunder in 2012 when they claimed their first Allan Cup, became available when the Pistons were eliminated last Tuesday in the MJHL finals.

Limpright made it 2-0 for the Thunder early in the third, on a goal assisted by former NHL veteran Terry Yake.

With the win, the Prairie Thunder avenged that double overtime loss to the Bentley Generals in the 2009 Allan Cup finals in Steinbach. Southeast already knows they will have a chance to defend their title next year as they are the host team at the 2016 Allan Cup, which returns to Steinbach in April, 2016.

It was quite a run for the Prairie Thunder enroute to capuring their second Allan Cup as they won seven playoff games to get the job done. First they travelled to Rosetown, Sask., at the end of March and swept Rosetown three straight in the Manitoba – Saskatchewan final to qualify for the Allan Cup, then they made the trip to ‘The Rock’ and won four more to clinch the title.

Congratulations to the Southeast Prairie Thunder, and in particular general manager Marv Kornelsen for putting this team together more than a decade ago, persevering with it year in and year out, not to mention the considerable amount of resources he has put into this team to keep it going.