Warriors run out of gas

Times Editor

 

Seven games in seven days may have cost the Wheatland Warriors a chance at the SCAHL Championship. 

The local bantam double-A team competed at the provincial championship late last month, before resuming their best-of-five championship series in Strathmore.

After splitting Games 3 and 4, the Warriors made the long drive to Cranbrook, where they lost the fifth and decisive game 6-1 on March 29.

“We were gassed … the kids were trying hard and everything, but they gave everything they had in Game 4 (a 3-2 overtime loss) and they didn’t have enough in the tank (for Game 5),” said Warriors head coach Paden Grant. “We were running off of fumes, kids were getting sick and it was our seventh game in seven days.

“They gave it a good run and they tried their best, but they just didn’t have anything left.”

According to Grant, the turning point in the series was not being able to clinch the championship in Game 4, after a solid 6-4 win in Game 3.

“That was our game to win,” he said. “We spent everything we had in that game, it was tough. We had to put up with a lot with the scheduling … it wasn’t their fault we had to play all those games in a row. They never complained and they just kept coming to the rink and give everything they had.

“In the end, it was more who can outlast the endurance test rather than who was the better team.”

The Warriors, who finished the regular season with a 19-8-6 record, where a hard working team that allowed the least amount of goals against in the North Division.

According to Grant, they didn’t have a lot of offensive weapons, but they had a team that could roll four lines and outwork the opposition.

Despite not winning the league championship, the season can be classified a success.

“I’m extremely proud of everyone,” said Grant. “I’m really happy with the way the season went. The team always came to the rink ready to work … we’re all a family and you actually had that feeling with this team.

“That was the reason we went as far as we did.”