When the Bienfait Coalers took the trip to Moosomin Friday, they were looking at a must-win game. After all, the Rangers had won the first two games of the best-of-five series and had Bienfait on the ropes. The Coalers, though, would not only outlast the Rangers with a 9-8 overtime win Friday but would also pick up a 5-4 win Sunday to force a fifth and decisive game in the series to determine a berth in the Big Six finals.  

The game Friday night would see the Rangers and Coalers going back and forth for the full 60 minutes, with the second and third periods alone seeing the two teams combining for 13 goals. With the two teams knotted up 8-8 after 60 minutes, Kaelen Holt would score the game-winner 2:44 into the extra frame to keep the chances for the Coalers alive.  

Taysen Holt led the way for Bienfait in the game with two goals and three assists. Dylan Lay would score two goals as well, with Jason Hengen and Ryan Curzon chipping in a goal and an assist each. The other goal scorers for the Coalers were Klae Bayda and Kyle Salaway.  

For Moosomin, league-scoring leader Bud Holloway chipped in five helpers, with Carter Sawchuk and Jacob Piller scoring two goals each. Also scoring for the Rangers were Paul Stapleton, Phil Doucet, Drayson Skulmoski and Dawson Springer. 

Sunday night, the series returned to Bienfait, where a hat trick from Taysen Holt helped power the Coalers to a 5-4 victory. Holt would chip in on all five of Bienfait’s goals, with Jason Hengen and Kaelen Holt also scoring in the win. The Rangers would get a pair of goals from Holloway, with Devin McGonigal and Drew Schiller also tallying.  

The wins by Bienfait on the weekend have set up a dramatic end to the series, with game five scheduled for Wednesday night in Moosomin. The winner of that game will go on to face the Redvers Rockets in the finals. 

The Rockets advanced after they finished their sweep of the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings in the finals, thanks to a 9-1 win on home ice. After losing their first game of the regular season, the Rockets have been undefeated since, rattling off 19 straight regular season wins, and five playoff wins.