Midget Huskies out of Provincials, on to round two of Spud League playoffs

C. Davis photos/videos

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Victory and defeat played out for the Midget Huskies hockey team and their hometown crowd last weekend, when they were narrowly squeezed out of Provincials in one game and moved on to the second round of the Spud League playoffs in the next.

Midget Huskies vs Vulcan Hawks

Provincial game: Midget Huskies vs Vulcan Hawks

The Midget Huskies hosted the Vulcan Hawks on the evening of Thursday, February 21 at Pincher Creek's Memorial Community Centre Arena.  Local chanteuse Alexandra Morgan rendered an exquisite version of 'O Canada' to start the proceedings, assisted by a big crowd.  Vulcan came out, and so did Pincher Creek, big time.

We got rewarded with some great hockey.

In the first game of the best of three series, the Hawks defeated the Huskies 6-2.  I'm told the Vulcan rink was wider than the Pincher rink.  Playing for accumulated points, the Huskies needed a 5 point win going into Thursday's game.  They didn't get it.

The Huskies had a strong first period, charging from the gate, scoring first and scoring early at the 19:03 mark when #22 Derek Tarcon popped one in, assisted by Captain Brett Tarcon.  The Hawks tied it up about 2 minutes later, at the 17:05 mark, Captain Austin Howe unassisted on that delivery.

The boards were getting polished. Solid hits, both ways.

At the 12:48 mark Chinooks #27 Lane Crawford scored, assisted by Brett Tarcon and Derek Tarcon.  Now there's a line!  You younger players should pay attention.

That's where it stalled, 2-1 for the Chinooks, for the remainder of the period.  Solid tending from Chinooks goalie #33 Lane Kalbhen.  In general it looked like a contest of equals out there.

The Huskies lost it in the second period.  3 unanswered goals by the Hawks, coming from  Alec MacDougall, Ben Hartung, and Devon Scott.   Picking up assists were Brett Howe, Austin Howe, Ryan Palanuik, and Luc Brusset.

Going into the final period, do-or-die for the series, the Huskies were behind by 2. Penalties really hurt them the Huskies this period, particularly two of them accumulated by one guy at the 14:59 mark, one which sent him home and another that had to be served in his stead. You know anything about that, number 7?

At the 16:34 mark Kolten Nelson scored for the Hawks, assisted by Austin Howe, bringing it to 5-2.

Then back to a stalemate, both teams still pouring it on.  The Huskies surged in the last five or ten minutes of the game.  With 4:54 left in the game Huskies #9 Blair Goodreau scored, assisted by Jared Koentges. 5-3.  Down to the wire, Huskies #15 Tristan Doell scored, unassisted, with only 48 seconds left in the game.

At the buzzer it was Vulcan Hawks 5, Huskies 4.

Remember, the Huskies knew they couldn't make the necessary accumulated points to move forward by the 4:54 mark.  They still poured it on to the very end.

With that, the Vulcan Midget Hawks move forward to the next round of Provincials and the Midget Huskies moved on to finish up the first round of the Spud League playoffs.

Midget Huskies vs Bow Island Rebels

Spud League Playoffs: Midget Huskies vs Bow Island Rebels

The Midget Huskies came to play the next evening, when they hosted the Bow Island Rebels at the Memorial Community Centre arena on Friday, February 22 for the first of a best of three in the first round of the Spud League finals. The Huskies dominated all three periods, keeping the puck near the Rebels' base for most of the game.

Dorian Bernhart scored the lone Rebels goal in the first period, unassisted.  Scoring for the Huskies:
Michael Roy started it off, assisted by Freddie Bruder.  Roy also closed out the game in style with an unassisted goal, bookending it.
Derek Tarcon got 2 goals and an assist.  He was assisted by Blair Goodreau, Marc Sciarra, and Will Thorpe.
Also scoring for the Huskies: Jared Koentges, Blair Goodreau, Ryan Marshall, Ryan Sciarra, and Will Thorpe (unassisted).
Assists I missed ^: Calahan Bruder, Chase Tymchana, and Steven Mitchell.

 Long story short, the Huskies won this one easily, 9-1.

The Rebels passed on the handshake.

Next up for the Midget Huskies: round two of the Spud League playoffs.  Stay tuned for scheduling updates.