It took just over 105 minutes and six periods, but the Moose Jaw Generals were able to tie up their semifinal series with the Saskatoon Contacts thanks to a 3-2 triple overtime win.

“We’d been battling hard all game and everybody was getting tired, so I had to put an end to it,” said Colton Schick, who scored 5:53 into the third overtime period to tie the best-of-five series at 1-1.

“Everyone was tired, but we had to keep going because going down two games in the series is pretty tough to come back from, so we had to tie it up,” added Schick.

Before Schick scored the overtime winner, Grant Naherniak was the hero for the Generals through the first five periods, making 15 saves in the second overtime and 48 total in his first start since losing Game 1 of the Tisdale series.

“I said it about Ryland in the last game against Tisdale, but holy was Grant good (in Game 2),” said head coach Ray Wareham.  “He was just unbelievable.  He’s the difference.”

It was a back and forth game for the most part, including a scoreless first period.  Rhett Gardner opened the scoring late in the second period with his second of the playoffs, picking up a rebound in front of the net.  Dayton Picard put Moose Jaw up two in the dying seconds of the second, beating Mack Shields through the legs with one second left.

The third period was all-Saskatoon right from the beginning with Austin Glover scoring 1:51 into the frame, and then Carson Stadnyk tieing things up with 6:58 to go to send the game to overtime.

Moose Jaw had chances in the first extra period, but both goalies kept the puck out.  Saskatoon upped the pressure in the second overtime with Naherniak staying strong to set the stage for Schick’s game winner early in the next period.

Wareham says getting that goal and the win was huge for his club, “If we happen to fall here and you’re down 0-2, that’s a tough, tough climb.  That’s a very good team over there and we need this one to have a chance.

“Now we need to get some rest and go back up there.  We’ve got to win one up there and it might as well be Saturday.”

The series shifts to Saskatoon’s Schroh Arena for Game 3 on Saturday night at 6:30pm.  Game 4 will be in Caronport on Sunday night at 7:30pm.