Wheatland teams gear up for playoffs
Amy Gregson – Times Reporter
Wheatland Warriors
The Wheatland Warriors Bantam lost their last regular season game 4 – 2 to Brooks Outlaws Feb. 19, missing out on getting a bye through the first round of the playoffs.
The team finished in third place, just two points shy of the second place Airdrie Lightning. “It’s been up and down all year, but the last couple of weeks we’ve started to get a bit stronger,” said Russell Koester. “Right in time for the playoffs hopefully.”
The team started out really strong going 7 – 1 throughout the first part of the season, but faltered through the middle of the season.
Koester said the group of boys has been one of the tightest groups he’s ever seen and they all get along.
He said all the players have stepped up during the season and they are a very even team.
“If we don’t have everyone going, were not a very strong team,” Koester said. “We need everyone going every game.”
The team will play the Okotoks Oilers in the first round of playoffs starting this weekend.
Koester said the team will be working on work ethic, playing a full 60 minutes and doing whatever it takes to win.
Wheatland Chiefs
Since the middle of December the Wheatland Chiefs have been on a roll, going undefeated in their last 16 games.
The Midget AA team also solidified their spot atop the North Division leader board in the South Central Alberta Hockey League by beating the Airdrie Lightning 5 – 2 on Feb. 21.
“We’ve been playing pretty good,” said coach Devin Olsen. “It’s always good going into the playoffs, but you can’t get too cocky.”
Olsen said the team has been playing good from the top to bottom and that all players are really close in points to each other.
“It’s really nice because then you don’t have one line to rely on, you have all four lines,” said Olsen.
However, the Chiefs do have four players in the top 30 in scoring in the entire Midget AA division; Spencer Samuel, Justin Fraser, Lane Wilson and Lucas Mertz.
They play their last regular season game Feb. 27 against the Taber Golden Suns in Taber.
The team has a bye for the first round of the playoffs and will begin their post season the second weekend of March.
amy@strathmoretimes.com