Bisons win in more ways than one

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

It was a significant win on multiple levels for the Foothills CFR Chemicals Bisons Feb. 12 at the Strathmore Centre.
The 5-0 blanking of the St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders (16-14-3) was their first shutout of the season, clinching a playoff bye, a much-needed bounce-back win on home ice, but most importantly, a chance to raise money for a family in the community.
The Bisons athletic therapist, Rebecca Thompson, has known Stephanie Boettcher for a few years now. Boettcher is a new mother living in Calgary, who gave birth to her daughter Aria on Nov. 9, 2016. Aria was diagnosed with heptoblastoma, a form of liver cancer. Thompson reached out to the Bisons with the idea of having a charity night for her friend, to help raise money for her daughter.
“We take interest in other people’s lives and Rebecca is around us all the time and a big part of our lives,” said Bisons head coach Sandy Henry. “We wanted to help her friend out any way we could.”
The Bisons raised over $1,200 in cash, gift cards and other supplies for the family.
“It’s so amazing, I am overwhelmed with how much support the team has provided,” said Boettcher. “I’m so thankful for all these people who I’ve never met, reaching out and helping me.”
On the ice, the Bisons (23-6-3) responded from their worst defensive outing of the year with their best defensive outing of the year.
Less than 24 hours after the Bisons yielded a 7-6 loss to the last place Fort Saskatchewan Boston Pizza Rangers (8-19-5) on home ice, they turned in their first shutout of the season.
“Our dee zone coverage got addressed after that game and I thought we were a lot more cognizant in our own end today,” said Bisons captain Brett Trentham. “We knew where the threats were on the ice and we weren’t just standing around, staring at the puck.”
There has been a slight in-house competition between goaltenders Hunter Young and Ben Laidlaw. The Bisons were one of two playoff teams without a shutout this season.
Which isn’t that odd, unless you look at the stats and see that Laidlaw is tied for the league lead in wins (13) and was among the leaders in goals against average (2.45) and until recently, Young owned the top save percentage at .926.
“We have come really close to getting [a shutout] this year, but lost it in the final minutes,” said Laidlaw. “When we were on the 5-on-3 penalty kill late in the third, I tried not to think about the shutout and just focus on the next shot.”
Laidlaw was strong when tested: the Cochrane product turned away 19 shots, including back-to-back breakaway opportunities by Zane Avery in the first.
Sent in alone on Laidlaw, Avery was interfered with, but still got his shot off only to be denied by the blocker. Rewarded with a penalty shot, Avery came in shooting again, as Laidlaw kicked the puck out with the right pad.
“He definitely earned the shutout tonight,” said Henry. “We controlled the play pretty well, but there’s always those four or five times when you need him to make a big save and he rose to the occasion.”
Putting pucks in the net has never been an issue for the Herd this season and it wasn’t against the Raiders.
Boaz Bassen netted the winner in the first on a spectacular passing play from Jackson Salt and Cole Clayton.
Clayton was named the player of the month for the Bisons for February and he picked up right where he left off, scoring on a slap shot from the blue line.
Peyton Krebs, Joel Krahenbil and Zach Huber also netted singles for the Bisons.
The win halted the Bisons two-game slide and clinched them a first-round bye in the Alberta Midget Hockey League playoffs with two games to go.
“The bye is something we set a goal for this year,” said Henry. “We think we play well enough at home and have the right type of team to play on the big ice surface.”
The Bisons sit three points back of the Calgary Buffaloes (23-4-6) with one game in hand.
The Bisons final home game of the regular season is set for Feb. 18 when they host the Dodge division-leading Sherwood Park J. Ennis Kings (23-6-3). Puck drop is slated for 5:15 p.m.
They will wrap up the regular season on the road the next day in Medicine Hat when they take on the South East Athletic Club Tigers (8-18-6) at the Medicine Hat Arena.