Midget Huskies continue undefeated Spud League reign

Midget Huskies vs Warner Sabres
C. Davis photo

Chris Davis, Sports

Pincher Creek's Midget Huskies are sitting firmly atop the Spud League standings after adding two more wins at home to their lossless season to date.


Midget Huskies vs Cardston

Midget Huskies vs Cardston
Lloyd Lybbert photos, C. Davis video

The Huskies hosted Cardston at the MCC arena on Saturday evening December 7 for a game that proved to be completely one-sided.  The Huskies' first goal came just 56 seconds into the first period and they scored almost at will after that.  The intermission between the second and third periods was cancelled and the clock was allowed to run after that, with the Huskies winning 19-1 (officially).  Previous games against Irvine and Kainai were as lopsided.  Not fun for either side.

Midget Huskies vs Warner

Midget Huskies vs Warner Sabres
C. Davis photos and videos

Warner, Bow Island, and sometimes Coaldale are the only teams offering real competition for the Huskies.  On Sunday afternoon the Huskies hosted Warner's South County Sabres at the MCC arena for what was to be a come-from-behind victory for the Huskies.

Sabres #12 Ashton Zintel proved to be a real challenge for the Huskies' defence.  He scored 4 goals in the first period, two of them unassisted.

That contrasted with one goal for the Huskies in the first, that one scored by #16 Derek Tarcon with a beauty slapshot just past the blue line, assisted by #18 Chase Tymchana and #17 Jared Koentges.

That goal tied the game up 1-1 for about 16 seconds before zintel scored one of his goals, but the Huskies were behind 1-4 at the end of the first period.  In the last two minutes of the first period the penalties started coming, with one going to Huskies and three going to the Sabres.

Zintel scored again for the Sabres early in the second period, making it 5-1 Sabres.  He was sent home with a Game Misconduct shortly after that.  The Huskies enjoyed a powerplay situation that stretched through most of the second period due to numerous Sabres penalties, and they made the most of it. In the second period alone the Sabres accumulated 11 penalties for a total of 34 minutes, including 3 game misconducts and a gross misconduct. The Huskies accumulated 6 penalties in the second period, serving a total of 12 minutes.

Once the enforcer types were tucked away it was a different game entirely.  At 13:01 on the clock, second Huskies #25 Sam Gerrand scored a powerplay goal, assisted by #26 Marc Sciarra.  5-2.

With 9:17 remaining in the period Huskies #23 Craig Marshall knocked in a rebound, assist going to #21 Keiran Douglas, on another powerplay.  5-3.  The Warner bench continued to diminish...

At 7:08 remaining in the period Huskies #17 Jared Koentges scored to make it 5-4, and the Huskies were back in the game.  Koentges was assisted by #18 Chase Tymchyna.

Huskies Captain #9 Blair Goodreau tied it up 5-5 with an assist from #12 Colin Lincez.  A few penalties later and the second period was done.

3:58 into the third period Blair Goodreau scored his second goal for the Huskies, unassisted, putting them ahead for the first time.  6-5.

Huskies #11 Calahan Bruder was sent home after getting his fourth penalty of the game.  At 8:52 into the third Colin Lincez added another goal to the Huskies' total, making it 7-5, assisted by #21 Kieran Douglas.

A big fight broke out with 6:10 remaining, resulting in a number of penalties and expulsions on both sides.  Most significantly for the Huskies Goodreau and Tymchyna were sent home with game misconducts.  Two Sabres players received similar treatment.

With 5:10 remaining in the game the Huskies' lead was enlarged, with the nod going to #26 Marc Sciarra, awarded to him as the last Huskies player to touch the puck before a Sabres' misplay at their net ricocheted in.  8-5.

With only 39 seconds left in the game Sabres #15 Nikolas Swanson scored a consolation goal, assisted by #11 Blake Lodermeier and #5 Dayne Conway.

Final score: Huskies 8, Sabres 6

The last time these two teams met, November 9, the margin was similar, the Huskies winning 5-3.

Play was fast and furious throughout this game, and both goalies were sorely tested.  Hats off to Huskies #33 Jeremy Kretz and Sabres #1 Wacey Thielen, the hardest worked athletes at the MCC arena all weekend.

"We are still undefeated," said Huskies coach Kent Goodreau after the game.  "We were behind at the beginning of the game because I guess the boys thought they could come out and coast on the ice for 20 minutes and still play. It's a mentality change and they have to learn when to change their mentality.  This is the second time the game has been close. It was a good game."

Goodreau was effusive in his praise for the Huskies.  'It's a great bunch of kids and they gel well.  Our third year players  are leading the team and the second year kids have really stepped up.  They are just a great bunch of kids that get along.  We sure hope to see a lot more of this."

"A small team like this, when everyone that shows up is firing on all cylinders, as we saw in the second and third today, they came back to play hockey."  

Upcoming:

The Midget Huskies have an away game scheduled against Cardston on Saturday December 14, starting at 7:00 pm.  They aren't scheduled to be back on home ice until January 3, another game against Cardston, to begin at 8:00 pm.  Another home game is scheduled for Sunday January 5 against Magrath, starting at 1:00 pm.  That should be an interesting game.  Magrath has only lost 1 of the 11 games they've played so far this season (losing 8-5 to Coaldale), defeating most of the same teams the Huskies have by similar margins.  On December 21 these two teams will meet for the first time this season, in Magrath, starting at 4:00 pm.