The Wasaga River Dragons completed a dominant three-game sweep over the Ville-Marie Pirates in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) North Division Semi-Finals. With a combination of strong defensive play, timely scoring, and elite goaltending from Brody Pritchard, Wasaga punched their ticket to the North Division Final.

Game 1: Wasaga 4, Ville-Marie 3 (OT)

The series opener at Wasaga Stars Arena was a tightly contested battle that needed overtime to determine a winner. Wasaga took an early lead thanks to Olle Bjalkefors, who found the back of the net midway through the first period. The Swedish forward doubled his tally early in the second, but Ville-Marie responded with two quick goals from Cooper Brazeau and Olivier Boucher to tie the game heading into the final frame.

Ville-Marie briefly took the lead in the third period when Danick Latour capitalized on the power play, but Wasaga answered with a shorthanded goal from Ty Moore just moments later. In overtime, it was Lucas Texmo who played hero, scoring unassisted at 15:40 to secure the win for the River Dragons.

Goaltending Battle: Brody Pritchard was stellar, making 36 saves on 39 shots (.923 SV%), while Maxim Audet kept Ville-Marie in the game with 37 saves on 41 shots.

Key Performances:

• Brody Pritchard (WAS): 36 saves, .923 SV%
• Olle Bjalkefors (WAS): 2 goals
• Lucas Texmo (WAS): 1 goal, 1 assist
• Danick Latour (VM): 1 goal, 1 assist

Game 2: Wasaga 2, Ville-Marie 1

Heading to Ville-Marie for Game 2, the Pirates were eager to even the series, but a disciplined Wasaga squad had other plans. Despite scoring first on a late first-period goal from Danick Latour, Ville-Marie struggled to generate offense against Wasaga’s stifling defense.

The River Dragons responded in the second period when Ty Moore struck on the power play to level the score. Early in the third, Michal Novak delivered the game-winner with another power-play tally, assisted by Dalton Mayes and goaltender Brody Pritchard.

Ville-Marie’s netminder Maxim Audet was outstanding, turning aside 41 of 43 shots (.953 SV%), but Wasaga’s relentless attack proved too much.

Goaltending Battle: Pritchard was rock solid again, allowing just one goal on 20 shots (.950 SV%), while Audet put forth an exceptional performance despite the loss.

Key Performances:

• Maxim Audet (VM): 41 saves, .953 SV%
• Brody Pritchard (WAS): 19 saves, .950 SV%, 1 assist
• Ty Moore (WAS): 1 goal
• Michal Novak (WAS): 1 goal (GWG)

Game 3: Wasaga 3, Ville-Marie 1

Back at home for Game 3, Wasaga aimed to complete the sweep, and they wasted little time asserting control. A pair of first-period power-play goals from Emil Mouantri gave the River Dragons an early 2-0 lead, putting Ville-Marie on their heels.

Ville-Marie cut the deficit late in the second period with a goal from Danick Latour, but that was as close as they would get. Wasaga sealed the victory in the third when Hayden Lacquette scored another power-play goal to extend the lead to 3-1.

For the third straight game, Brody Pritchard was outstanding, stopping 36 of 37 shots to cap off a dominant series between the pipes. His counterpart, Maxim Audet, made 38 saves but couldn’t keep Wasaga from securing the series-clinching win.

Goaltending Battle: Pritchard put up his best performance of the series, stopping 36 of 37 shots (.973 SV%), while Audet made 38 saves on 41 shots (.927 SV%).

Key Performances:

• Brody Pritchard (WAS): 36 saves, .973 SV%
• Emil Mouantri (WAS): 2 goals
• Maxim Audet (VM): 38 saves, .927 SV%
• Danick Latour (VM): 1 goal

Implications

With the sweep, the Wasaga River Dragons advance to the North Division Final, where they will face the top seeded Bradford Rattlers. The River Dragons’ combination of defensive discipline, special teams efficiency, and elite goaltending makes them a formidable opponent. Meanwhile, Ville-Marie’s season comes to an end after a hard-fought series, with standout performances from goaltender Maxim Audet and forward Danick Latour.

What’s Next?

The River Dragons now shift their focus to the North Division Final against the Bradford Rattlers. With both teams playing at a high level, the series is expected to be a thrilling battle for a spot in the GMHL Russell Cup Championship round. Wasaga will look to continue riding the momentum of their impressive sweep as they prepare for their toughest challenge yet.