By Cami Kepke via Western Hockey League

RED DEER, Alta. - A five-goal second period helped propel Saskatchewan to a bronze-medal finish in a 8-5 win over British Columbia at the 2024 WHL Cup.

Saskatchewan alternate captain Kayden Stroeder (Edmonton Oil Kings / Lanigan, Sask.) scored a hat trick to finish the tournament with four goals and five assists, while Jacob Schwartz  (Victoria Royals / Vancouver, B.C.) and Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders / Victoria, B.C.) led their team with eight points each- Schwartz had five goals and three assists at the tournament while Cripps registered eight assists.

• GAME SUMMARY
• PLAYER STATS
• TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Saskatchewan came out of the gates firing as Cash Arcand-Vandale (Red Deer Rebels / Saskatoon, Sask.) pounced on a long rebound to open the scoring.

Alternate captain Kayden Stroeder added his second of the tournament shortly afterward by dancing a defender and lobbing a backhand shot that deflected off a stick and into the net for a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The goals started to come fast and furious as the teams combined for nine goals in the second period.

Ryan Sadovia (Edmonton Oil Kings / Kelowna, B.C.) got British Columbia on the board with a sneaky wrister from the slot, but Stroeder added his second of the day on the powerplay to restore Saskatchewan’s two-goal lead 90 seconds later.

Cohen Williams (Moose Jaw Warriors / Cawston, B.C.) got the West Coast crew within one after a magnificent solo effort and Eddy Spytz (Everett Silvertips / Victoria, B.C.) briefly tied the match at three with a one-timer blast off of a Brock Cripps tee-up on the powerplay.

The scoring pendulum swung the other way as Trae Peterson (Tri-City Americans / Yorkton, Sask.) buried a loose puck in a mad scramble in front of the B.C. net and a trailing Dade Wotherspoon (Prince George Cougars / Martensville, Sask.) converted on a three-on-one rush to make it 5-3 for Saskatchewan.

Carter Bylycia (Tri-City Americans / Kamloops, B.C.) continued the scoring rampage with a clean wrister from the faceoff dot for his first of the tournament, but as the goal was being announced, Jake Evans (Lethbridge Hurricanes / Saskatoon, Sask.) answered for Saskatchewan.

Stroeder capped off the period by completing the natural hat trick by ringing a powerplay shot off the iron and into the net to give Saskatchewan a 7-4 advantage entering the third period.

The outpouring of offence briefly spilled into the final frame as a puck bounced off a skate to a wide-open Trae Peterson for his second of the game and Cohen Handby was left alone to pick up a long rebound to keep British Columbia close.

That was where the scoring would end as Saskatchewan went on to win bronze by a final score of 8-5.

Cade Mitchell (Moose Jaw Warriors / Gull Lake, Sask.) saved 39 of 44 shots in the win.

With one goal and three assists, Dade Wotherspoon was named Player of the Game for Saskatchewan, while Mathis Paull (Regina Pats / Vernon, B.C.) earned the honour for British Columbia with three assists.

The WHL Cup closes with a rematch between Manitoba and Alberta in the gold-medal game at 1:00 p.m. MST.