The Calm before the Storm

I’m sure most teams would do the same. They would have a hard time getting motivated and playing a really intense league game the night before a very important provincial game. In fact, most coaches I know would tell their players not to take any stupid penalties that would result in a suspension or  get hurt. Such was the case on Friday night when the Midget Avalanche traveled to Lac La Biche to take on the Clippers.

The Avalanche have a playoff spot locked up. In fact they may even end up in first place in the Tier II league. So why jeopardize someone getting hurt or suspended?The Clippers are a good team, but as we all know the Avalanche could have played a bit better if not for the fact they were meeting the Kitscoty Pitbulls the next  night. With only a one goal lead in a two game total point series, played at Kitscoty, that game was much more important.

The final score Friday night 7-5 for the Clippers. Two goals and an assist for Jaden ‘Jet Stream’ Van Maarion. Jetstream has been sidelined for a few weeks with a groin injury and wanted to try to skate a bit before the game in Kitscoty. Two goals for ‘King Cole’ Bendixen who has been really lighting it up this year . Hayden ‘Hot Wheels’ Ludlage with a goal, his brother the set up man, Lightning Liam, with four assists. Hank ‘the Tank’ Rogal also with a helper.

Saturday night, the main event, and the building was a packed down in Kitscoty with fans from both teams.  The boys battled hard in the trenches and came home with a 7-4 win and lots of scars to show for it. The Pitbulls and the Avalanche have a lot of history. We’ve been battling in provincials for the last 20 years or more since way back in the day when head coach Marty Bendixen and my son Jordan played with the Thunder. The rivalry lives on!

Two goals and an assist for veteran winger Chase ‘Rink Rat’ Dorey. The too tall defenseman Evan ‘Batman’ Ockerman with two goals. Lighting Liam with a goal and three assists. His brother hard-nosed  D-Man, Hot Wheels  and the rugged right winger Jet Stream with a goal. Grinder Hank the Tank coming through with two assists. Team captain and the North East League leading scorer Nick ‘Sparky’ Anderson with two assists. Sparky  is one of the most talented and best team leaders I have ever seen. King Cole on the scoresheet once again with an assist. Well done boys!

The Peewee Avalanche had a very intense weekend as well playing the top two teams in the league for their final two games of the season . On Saturday, the league leading Onion Lake Chiefs came calling with only one loss on the season. The Avalanche hoping to hand them their second one. They did one heck of a job trying, leading the game 3-2 going into the third period on goals by Kaleb ‘Formula One’ Flamand, ‘Saint Nick’  Penner and the birthday boy 13 year old Ryan ‘Ram Rod’ Cameron. Two assists for ‘Top Gunner’ Crawford. The Saint with an assist and Brendon ‘Blueline’ Haesch also with an assist . The Chiefs coming on strong in the third period would tie the game at three all half way through the frame, then add the winner a five minutes later. The Avalanche going full bore couldn’t quite score to get the tying goal, losing this one by one.

On Sunday the Peewee Avalanche hosted Lac La Biche in another barn burner that came right down to the wire. No score by either team for the first 40 minutes the Avalanche’s ‘Bo Diddley’ Fontaine finally finding the mesh in the first minute and a half of the third period assisted by Formula One. The Clippers pouring on the coal answered with two goals back to back half way through the third period to take the 2-1 lead. With 21 seconds left the Avalanche coaching staff  calling a timeout and pulling the goalie adding an extra attacker and it worked.  Vaughn ‘the Vulture’ Ockerman scoring with four seconds on the clock assisted by Top Gunner.  The regular season is now over for the Peewee team. Lac La Biche still has a few games to play. If they win them they will end up in second place in the league and the Avalanche will be in third. Either way they are in the playoffs starting in two weeks.

The Atom Avalanche gearing up for the Provincial final in March, travelled to Vermilion on late Saturday afternoon to play an exhibition game against their tier two team. We are a Tier III team and playing stronger teams is a good way to gauge how well you will do in the Provincial final.

The Atoms played really well by the way, losing by only 5-3.  Kaysen ‘Dynamite’ DeMossiac,  Raif ‘Rug Rat’ Evans – Anderson and Madden ‘Mad Dog’  Flamand scoring  for the Avalanche. ‘Without a Trace Morgan and Mad Dog with the assists.

On Sunday, the Atoms hosted St Paul in their final league game winning this one 6-2 . Mad Dog with a hat trick and a couple of assists. Dynamite  with a goal. Dynamite was really full of energy in this one and going strong both ways. Without a Trace with a goal and an assist. Evett ‘Snoop Dog’ Smereka,  Braylee ‘Wee Willy’ Lesyk,  and Brendan ‘Buzz Saw’ Kadutski with two assists each. Riley ‘Coyote’ Bourne adding an assist.

The cold minus 35 weather may have kept the kids at home from school this past week, but nothing will stop the hard core hockey fans. The Micro Novice  came out Saturday morning at 8.30 am to play. The opposition travelling an hour from Mannville.  The temperature at my house in town was minus 33 and I’m sure it was colder in some places in the country. It was warmer in the arena timebox but not by much at that time of day. Burrr!!

Stetson ‘Shack’ Reynolds and Lennox ‘All Out’ St. Arnault with two goals each. Hudson ‘Hammer’ Krankowski with a hat trick. Zander ‘Zorro’ Goertzen with some awesome saves in net. ‘Tornado’ Aarbo, Jaydn ‘Spectatular ‘ Sakowsky and ‘General Lee’ Barstad going strong on the for- check and creating turnovers. Right after the Micro-Novice game the Novice played two back to back games, the first against St. Paul, the second against Bonnyville. Only in Canada you say!! 

In out of town action this past weekend. Goaltender Vanden ‘Super Mario’ Moroziuk playing with the Bonnyville Bantams Tier I team defeated Redwater in the second game of their two game total point Provincial  series 5-0. ‘Super Mario’ earning the shut out. They are now off to the forth round, the team TBA.

In AA Peewee action ‘King Kong Konnor’ Poitras  who celebrated his 13th birthday on Sunday scored two goals and assisted on two others plus took two trips to the sin bin  in a game against Lloydminister. His sidekick Cash ‘ Paycheque’ Capjack scored two goals and also served a penalty in the same game the boys winning 11-6.

Congratulation to Jenna ‘Precious ‘ Poitras and the Dewberry Wild Female Midget team on winning the two game total point series over Heaven ‘Brickhouse ‘ Colborne and the Lakeland Jaguars. The Wild will now go on to the next round against the St. Paul. Both of those teams have former Elk Point Storm players.