PRINCE ALBERT -- The Prince Albert Mintos got back on the winning track in Sask Male AAA Hockey League action on Tuesday night, and handed the Saskatoon Contacts their first loss of the season in the process.
Cooper Sawatzky scored the game-winning goal in the third period as the Mintos took a 2-1 victory over the Contacts at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.
Prince Albert improves to 2-1 and sit tied for second place in the earliest stages of the regular season, while the Contacts fall to 1-1 and are tied for seventh.
Noah Gibson opened scoring for the Mintos at the 7:29 mark of the first period, but the lead wouldn’t last the opening frame as Davey Fisher replied for Saskatoon just over seven minutes later.
That’s where things remained until the third period, when Sawatzky scored his second of the season with 9:11 remaining to secure the victory.
Jaden Blanchette stopped 32 shots to earn the win for Prince Albert, Felix Derksen had 33 stopped 33 for the Contacts, including 22 in the third period.
The Mintos return to action on Sunday when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Blazers (4:45 p.m., Rod Hamm) while the Contacts are next in action on Tuesday, Oct. 7 when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors (7 p.m., Merlis Belsher).
One game is on tap in the SMAAAHL for Wednesday night as the Estevan Bears travel to Notre Dame to face the Hounds. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena.
