Warriors ready to battle

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By Mario Prusina, Times Editor

The Wheatland Warriors will play for the South Central Alberta Hockey League (SCAHL) championship after sweeping the their conference tournament Feb. 27-March 1 in Lethbridge.
The local bantam double-A team went 5-0 at the south conference tournament, earning them a berth in the league championship best of three series beginning this week.
The Warriors opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over the Cranbrook Hornets on Feb. 27, before defeating the Taber Golden Suns 7-3 and the Medicine Hat Hounds 7-4 the following day.
Armed with a 3-0 round robin record, the Warriors won their semifinal on Feb. 29 with a convincing win (again) over the Cranbrook Hornets.
The league’s No. 1 ranked south team then took on the Okotoks Oilers in the south championship on March 1.
Kolten Kuryk scored once and added a pair of assists to lead the Warriors to a 5-2 win. Tyler Fairbairn, Nash Wassing and Adam Hakim each scored and added an assist in the win.
Troy Semeniuk also tallied for the Warriors, while Jace Koole chipped in a pair of assists.
Meanwhile, the West Central Tigers emerged from the north conference tournament with a 6-5 win over the Red Deer Steel Kings on March 1.
The Tigers will play host to the Warriors in Game 1 of the best of three league championship series starting on March 6. Game 2 will take place on March 7 (7:45 p.m.) at the Strathmore Family Centre. Game 3, if necessary, will go March 8 in Rimbey.
The winner of the league championship will earn a berth in the provincial championship tournament later this month.
The Wheatland Warriors are the defending bantam AA champions.