SPORTSHOUND: Playoff Time

Tales from the Timebox for February 20, 2024

The annual Ronald McDonald Winterland Invitational in the Lakeland area was another huge success this past family day weekend. Teams coming from all over northeast Alberta are playing in Bonnyville, Cold Lake, and right here at the A.G. Ross Arena in Elk Point. The A.G. Ross Arena parking lot was packed Friday and Saturday when we hosted the eight U9 teams. Half ice and four teams playing at once while the other four were getting fueled up and dressed can really fill the building.   Thanks to all our volunteers from our town for making this a great tournament. 

U11 Avalanche

The North East League play was winding up this past weekend, and with our arena busy, the Avalanche home teams traveled out of town to play. The U11 Avalanche had a short hop over to St Paul and lost a very close game 8 to 6. Jase ‘the Jackal’ Malo scored four goals and added one assist. ‘Hurricane Kael’ Large and ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly scored one goal each. Between the pipes ‘Benny Boy’ Saddleback faced 25 shots. The U11s still have two more league games: one against Bonnyville and one against Vermilion. Since the U11 doesn’t have the opportunity to play in provincials,  they do a couple of tournaments for the league playoffs. And the good news is; that the U11 Tier 5 will be held right here in Elk Point on the 15th to 17th weekend in March. And our team will automatically be in it! 

U13 Avalanche

The U13 Avalanche team traveled to Hughenden on Saturday winning a barn burner 6 to 5. Team captain William ‘Billy Bob’ Ballas with four goals, including the winner, with only two and a half minutes left in the game. Goaltender Theo ‘LongHorn’ Loughran- Quinney, who faced 39 shots coming up big time, shutting the door on the Jets. The rugged rushing defenseman Brody ‘the Thrasher’ Trach with two goals and two assists. Big wingman Jaxon ‘Magic’ Marcoux with two helpers and some solid forechecking. ‘Fearless Frank’ Killiam is also on the game sheet with an apple. This coming weekend the U13 Avalanche will start playoffs. The format is a two game total points home and home series. Most likely they will be matched up and play Westlock in the first round. This is the same team that they played and tied four all against this past Thursday night. Hudson ‘the Bull’ Brousseau, Jesse James Penner, Fearless Frank and Magic all scored in this one. Billy Bob with three assists. 

U15 Avalanche

The undefeated U15 Avalanche have already played and won their first round of playoffs against the Wabasca Eagles.  At home this past Thursday night winning 9 to 4. Then they traveled by bus to Wabasca on Sunday, winning by a double-digit landslide. Everyone on the team contributed with at least one goal or an assist.  Brendan ‘BuzzSaw’ Kadutski,  Braylee ‘Free Willy’ Lesyk, ‘Wild Wyatt’ Fontaine, Anton ‘A Bomb’ Braithwaite, ‘Without a Trace’ Morgan, ‘Boe Dog’ St George, Tristan ‘Bobcat’ Brousseau, Liam ‘Sledgehammer’ Swedgen, Dustin ‘Dusty’ Brind, Alexander ‘the Great’ Naistus, Reece ‘Stone Cold’ Winterbottom, Kestyn ‘Crocodile’ Quinney, Remington ‘Steel’ Reynold, Jackson ‘J.R.’ Rawlake, Rylan ‘Mighty’ Quinney all record something on the game sheet.  Thesson ‘McGoalie’  McRorie and Owen ‘Ollie the Goalie’ Grykuliak share the goaltending duties. I don’t want to jinx things so forget that I even mentioned this… the U15 Avalanche won the gold medal at provincials last year and are looking really good for a repeat! 

U18 Avalanche

The U18 Avalanche are looking really good to finish the league in the top spot in the Tier 3 East Division. This past Saturday in Mannville they defeated the Irma/Mannville team 5 to 3. Gavin ‘Green Light’ Kadutski with two goals and two assists. Kaleb ‘Formula One’ Flamand set up three goals. ‘Kamikaze Kid’ Kade Fontaine, ‘Saint Nick’ Penner and Seth ‘Motorman’ Morton with one goal each. Everett Quinney, Sam ‘Spiderman’ Rogal and ‘Bo Diddley’  Fontaine all with an assist. Mason Ehnes and Alex ‘Mr Plywood’ Patterson share the goaltending duties. The U18s will start playoffs this coming weekend against a team yet to be determined.