Battle of the heavyweights
Mario Prusina
Times Editor
It is a date the Wheatland Braves have circled on their calendars for a really long time – Jan. 4, 7:30 p.m. at the Strathmore Family Centre.
That is the day that two super heavyweights in SCAHL peewee ranks will do battle for the first time this season.
The Braves, who lead the North Division with a 21-1-0 record, will tangle with the South Division leading Okotoks Oilers, who boast an equally impressive 19-1-1 record, for the ultimate bragging rights in the league.
“I expect a well-coached, speedy, cohesive team,” said Braves bench boss Keith Klemmensen. “We will be tested, there is no doubt about it. We have three practices leading up to that game and we’re going to implement a few more things (into our game) that might be helpful.”
Not only will the Braves tangle with the top team in the South that weekend, but the third-ranked Foothills Bisons, who Klemmensen praised as a well-coached, high-octane team. Wheatland will host Foothills the following day (Jan. 5, 6 p.m.) in Hussar.
Despite having the top winning percentage in the league, Klemmensen refused to appoint his team ‘the best in the league.’
He pointed to the fact that his team has discipline issues that may come back to haunt them if they are not careful. He said teams are too good not to make you pay if you take a ‘stupid’ penalty or if a player is suspended.
Meanwhile, the Braves capped off 2012 with a 12-game winning streak, including a 5-2 win over Bow Valley (the only team to beat the Braves this year) on Dec. 21 in Hussar. Wheatland then hammered Airdrie 9-1 on Dec. 23 at the Strathmore Family Centre to cap off 2012.
Warriors tied up
The Wheatland Warriors finished 2012 with a 3-3 draw versus the Airdrie Lightning on Dec. 22 on the road.
The local double-A bantam team, which is currently in second place in the South Division with a 13-5-4 record, will travel to Cochrane to take on Bow Valley on Jan. 5 (2:30 p.m.), before hosting Innisfail the following day (4:30 p.m.) at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Chiefs on tear
The Wheatland Chiefs closed out 2012 with a three-game winning streak, including a 7-4 win over the Badlands Longhorns on Dec. 22 in Hussar.
The local double-A midget team, which boasts an 11-10-1 record, currently sits in fifth place in the North Division. Despite the mediocre mark, the team is just six points away from first place in the division.
The Chiefs will look to continue their winning streak when they open the New Year with a road date in Sylvan Lake on Jan. 5 (8:15 p.m.)