Playoff time for WAA teams
By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter
Doug Taylor Photo
The local double-A midget team got their cardio in last weekend with three games to wrap up the regular season.
They opened the weekend by sealing their fate in second place in the South Division with a 5-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Hounds March 2 at the Kinplex 1 Arena. Zach Suntjens and Jared Kirkpatrick powered the Chiefs with a goal and an assist each, while Stran Red Crow, Brian Butland and Ben Kruse supplied one goal each.
Staying overnight in Medicine Hat, the Chiefs (20-11-4) had a whole day to kill before tangling with the Taber Golden Suns (17-12-6) that evening, which could have thrown them out of their rhythm.
Kruse buried both markers in the Chiefs 4-2 loss March 3 at the Taber Community Centre.
The Chiefs put a lid on the regular season with a 4-4 tie at the Strathmore Family Centre despite outshooting the 19-8-7 West Central Tigers 40-24.
Jayden Hendricks sniped a pair and added an assist, Ty Skehar registered one goal and two helpers while Red Crow notched his 14th of the season.
“I’m really happy with the way we’ve come together over the past few weeks. I think that we are playing some of our best hockey,” said Matt Gass, Chiefs head coach. “I think if we go out and skate, and take care of business, there shouldn’t be a team in the tournament that we should be afraid of.”
The Chiefs will trot out seven players from last year’s provincial championship roster once the puck gets dropped March 8 in Lethbridge. That, combined with a coaching staff that has been together to win the SCAHL in each of the past three seasons, gives the Chiefs confidence that other programs cannot produce.
“There’re a lot of new guys in the dressing room who weren’t there for those wins, but there are also a handful of guys who went on the deep run last year and know what it takes,” said Gass. “I think they should help calm any pre-game nerves that might exist with the other guys.”
Warriors on a mission
In the bantam division, the Wheatland Warriors are also playing well right now and are looking to capture the SCAHL title for the first time in two years.
“We battled through a slow start and the odd tough stretch, and we finished with a record over 500. We have been turning it on lately and put in some good performances last weekend,” said Cody Brown, Warriors head coach.
Playing a home-and-home series with the Lethbridge Hurricanes to close out the weekend, the Warriors went 1-0-1.
In a back-and-forth affair, the Hurricanes (17-10-7) and Warriors tied 2-2 March 3 at the Henderson Ice Centre. Philip Raycroft and Spencer Tower found the back of the net for the Warriors.
Wrapping the regular season up at home, the Warriors trimmed the Hurricanes 3-2 when Joel Romano scored his 15th of the season with 4:05 remaining in regulation. Domenic Ficaccio and Jarred Schrock rippled twine as well.
The Warriors (16-15-3) will be in Medicine Hat March 8 for their tournament and believe their strong play of late can carry over into the post season.
“If we do the little things right and control the game well, we should be fine,” said Brown. “We get into trouble when we stray away from our game plan and don’t turn in a solid 60-minute effort.”
Heading to the playoffs
The Wheatland Braves ended their season with a bang when they blasted the Chestermere Lakers 12-2 March 4 at the Chestermere Regional Community Association Rink.
Kolten Kuryk and Charles Goll led the Braves with two goals and one assist each, while 14 different Braves found their way on to the score sheet. Tyler Fairbairn and Jace Koole supplied one goal and two assists, Nathan Alberda racked up three assists, Luc Trevors sniped a pair, Adam Moore and Nash Wassing registered a goal and an assist, Luke Eitzen turned in a pair of apples, and Colton Gabe and Conner Radke rounded out the scoring with one goal each.
“Anytime you can end the season with a big win like that, it’s always a good thing,” said Braves Head Coach Keith Klemmensen.
The local double-A peewee team dropped their final home game of the season March 3 when the Central Alberta Selects (21-10-2) toppled the Braves 8-5 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
The Braves couldn’t recover from a first period that saw them surrender a 3-0 lead despite Garrin Gosling, Radke, Trevors, Goll, Koole and Wyatt Yule picking up goals.
The fifth-seeded Braves (17-16-0) begin their playoff push March 8 in Sylvan Lake and will be hosted by the Lakers (2-30-1).
“If we’re going to go anywhere in the playoffs, we need every guy on our team working hard and turning in a strong 60-minute effort. We have the talent to beat any team in the league, we just need to do the small things right and work hard together,” said Klemmensen.