The Catraracts won both their preliminary-round games to finish first in their three-team pool. They and the Southeast Prairie Thunder of Manitoba, who topped the other pool, go directly to the semifinals, which will be played Friday.
Stuart MacRae scored the only goal of the third period to give Grand Falls-Windsor the victory over the defending champions, who took the 2016 Allan Cup as the Bentley Generals.
Matt Bragg and Matt Stefanishion, who like MacRae, were added to the Cataracts’ roster specifically for the Allan Cup, also scored for the winners. MacRae was picked up from the Central West senior league champion Clarenville Caribous, as was Ryan Desrosiers and goalie Jason Churchill.
Bryan Gillis stopped 24 shots Wednesday for his second straight win.
The four remaining teams in the Allan Cup competition will play cross-over games today, with the winners filling out the semifinal bracket. The host Bouctouche JCs take on the Stoney Creek, Ont., Generals, while Lacombe faces Lameque Au P’tit Mousse, another New Brunswick entry.
Cataracts will go straight to Allan Cup semifinals
The Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts edged the Lacombe, Alta., Generals 3-2 Wednesday night in Bouctouche, N.B., to earn a bye into the semifinal round of the Allan Cup national senior hockey championship.
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