It was the closest game of the series last night between the Notre Dame Hounds and Home Hardware Midget AAA Legionnaires, but ultimately the Legionnaires were swept from the playoffs in the league semi finals.

Coming into Game 3 after losses of both 5-2 and 4-1, the Legionnaires lost 4-3 to the Hounds.

The Hounds struck first to open scoring in the game on a shot midway through the first period off the stick of Nolan Renwick. The marker came on the power play in what would be a common trend for Notre Dame.

However, the Legionnaires tied the game up ahead of the first intermission as Jerzy Orchard fed Jacob Piller with just 21 seconds on the clock.

The second period was kind to Swift Current, who took the lead via Rin Beny on the power play at the 17:11 mark. Assists came from Kersey Reich and Ty Muench.

Notre Dame scored again on the power play just over four minutes later off another Renwick shot to go back and forth.

The see-saw scoring in the second ended with a Lucas Ochitwa blast from the point on passes from Mkyllan Couture and Owen Ozar to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.

Power play scoring sunk Swift in the third period and ultimately the series. Notre Dame scored twice more in the man-advantage in the final 20, going 4-for-10 in the game.

The Hounds tied the game up on a goal from Quinn Schmiemann at 18:38, and then less than a minute later at 17:57 via Ryker Evans.

In the loss, Cody Levesque stopped 30 of 34 shots in net for the Legionnaires.

"We played a great game. I thought we played better than Game 2. We executed, we had good details, and our work ethic was as good as it could be in every capacity - just a close game," said head coach Darren Evjen. "My hat's off to Notre Dame, they're a good hockey team. That's what happens when you start getting to the playoffs. You're going to face teams like that - we just came up short."

It was the first time since the 2011-12 season the Legionnaires made even the first round of playoffs, and nearly double that time frame since Swift reached the second round.

Evjen says the semi-final sweep at the hands of the Hounds will provide plenty of fuel for the fire in the offseason, after going neck-and-neck with the league's top team this past week.

"I think the big thing for us is that experience and that pain of losing in the second round. Now you can draw off of it, and your veterans next year understand the commitment it takes all year so that you're ready for that second round, and know the level you've got to be at to get into the final and I think that's the stepping stone you take usually in sport," said the Legionnaires bench boss.

"That's what we have to gain from this year - all our experiences this team has given the Legionnaires is going to make us better in the future because we've seen it now, we know what it looks like, now it's about getting better and finding a way to win in those situations."

Nine graduating players suited up in the navy and gold Legionnaires uniform for the last time last night.

Goalies:

Steven Duchscher
Cody Levesque

Defencemen:

Christian Riemer - Alternate Captain
Jaden Wake

Forwards:

Rin Beny - Alternate Captain
Jacob Piller - Alternate Captain
Owen Ozar - Captain
Ty Muench
Hunter Lamb

The Hounds now move on to the league final to play the Prince Albert Mintos, after the Mintos swept the Regina Pat Canadians in their respective semi final.