UFA Bisons crowned AMHL champs!

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

The UFA Bisons claimed their first provincial championship in franchise history with a convincing 5-0 win in Game 5 of the AMHL final on March 29.
After suffering a 2-1 defeat in Game 4 on home ice on March 27, the local triple-A midget team was able to put that tough loss behind them and focus on winning the championship in Edmonton.
Assistant coach Sandy Henry was lost for words after the emotional performance in Game 5, where they were able to wear down CAC Gregg Distributor Canadians and shut down any chance they had.
“You know we’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster. We certainly thought we had a great chance to win it at home. I think the guys were disappointed, not even so much for themselves, but that we didn’t get a chance to do it for our fans,” said Henry.
“They came up here pretty focused and guys were loose, we were laughing on the bus on the way up. Today, when it was business time, the faces go stern and then they just go to work.”
Henry said that their game plan worked to perfection by wearing CAC down early, and that was crucial on their way to winning the championship.
“Our game plan was to make sure we got on the body, make sure we’re getting pucks deep,” said Henry. “I thought we did a great job in the first period finishing all of our checks and we made them deal with us, handle us, physically move us around. I think it took a toll on them and over time it’s a hard game when that’s happening and once we got on the upside of it, it’s an easier game when the score is in your favour to go and continue to do it.”
All playoffs the boys have been making teams play their style, which has led to them beating teams (so far) quite handily.
“I think we forced them to play our style and that’s why we win,” said Henry. “We took the game out of their hands and made them come and get it, and as the rest of the teams here, no one has been able to come and get it yet.”
Captain Shane Fraser opened up the scoring in Game 5 while Will Conley, Jordan McConnell, Gary Haden and Barrett Sheen added singles to book their trip to the Pacifics.
Local Shane Fraser is thrilled to captain his hometown team to the league championship.
“Words can’t even describe it, basically it’s something special,” said Fraser. “We knew we had something special from the start, we had a few rough patches throughout November and after the Mac’s we knew we had something special there and we knew we could do it.”
Veteran defensemen and Strathmore native, Josh Bishop, knew the team had what it took to be a league champion.
“Everybody came together in the room at the right time and put wins together,” said Bishop.
He added that the team’s defense played a pivotal role in winning the series.
“I thought everyone on the back end played good, everybody played the same,” said Bishop. “We all worked the same and got it done together.”
Sheen was the lone goal scorer in the overtime loss in Game 4.
In Game 3 on March 25, it was McConnell with the hat trick while Markus Lavallee and Trygve Many Guns added one each in the 5-0 triumph.
The Vancouver NE Chiefs will be the Bisons opponent in the Pacific Regional Championship, and Henry added his view on them, having played them in the Mac’s.
“They’ve taken out some good teams along the way. Obviously their team is a little different than it was last time we played them, but we’re quite a bit different than we were, ” said Henry. “That first game is going to be a feeling-out process.”
The Pacifics will be from April 3-5 in Vancouver.
Game 1 is April 3 (8 p.m.) while Game 2 is the following day, also at 8 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, is set for 2 p.m. on April 5. All games will be played at the UBC Arena.