The Kyle Elks won a second straight Sask Valley Hockey League championship on Wednesday with a 4-3 win over the visiting Eston Ramblers at the Kyle Sports Center.
The two teams traded wins in the best-of-five series until the Elks took the fifth and deciding game. Kyle won the opener 7-4 before Eston grabbed a 5-1 road win. Kyle regained the series lead with a 3-1 road win and then Eston took game four 4-2 on Tuesday.
The Elks had finished first in the regular season with a 17-1-0-0 record with 163 goals for and 55 against.
Jesse Shynkaruk, who skated in the Western Hockey League with the Kamloops Blazers, Moose Jaw Warriors, and Saskatoon Blades, led the league with 45 goals and 81 points for the Elks on his way to league MVP honours.
Teammate Brett Boehm led the league with 38 assists and finished second in scoring with 63 points and was awarded the SVHL Gentlemanly with Ability Award.
Elks netminder Matt Richard led the league with a 0.925 save percentage and was second with a 2.00 goals against average.
Kyle won playoff series over the Lucky Lake Lakers and the Outlook Ice Hawks to reach the championship series.
The Elks will now try and clinch a Senior C provincial championship on Saturday when they host Edam at 6 p.m. The Elks won game one of the best-of-three series 5-4 as they chase the Jack Abbott Memorial Trophy.
The SVHL award winners were as follows:
MVP – Jesse Shynkaruk, Kyle
Gentlemanly with Ability – Brett Boehm, Kyle
Top Rookie – Josh Anderson, Lucky Lake
Coach of the Year – Daryl Souster, Delisle
First Team All Stars
Centre – Jesse Shynkaruk, Kyle
Left wing – Shay Stephenson, Outlook
Right wing – Brett Boehm, Kyle
Left defence – Cory Hodgins, Kyle
Right defence – Byron Sorenson, Kyle
Goaltender – Brett Lewchuk, Kenaston
2nd Team All Stars
Centre – Josh Anderson, Lucky Lake
Left wing – Keegan Allison, Central Butte
Right wing – Steve DaSilva, Beechy
Left defence – Chase Norrish, Loreburn
Right defence – Cody Pettapiece, Kenaston.
