Peewee Chinooks get ready for playoffs

Peewee Chinooks vs Kainai Chiefs
Photos and videos L. Lybbert, Wes Krampe, C. Davis

• Peewee Chinooks defeat Kainai Chiefs
• Lethbridge 4 defeats Peewee Chinooks
• Chinooks defeated in Provincial playdowns by Vauxhall
• Spud League playoffs rapidly approaching

Peewee Chinooks vs Kainai Chiefs

Lloyd Lybbert with Chris Davis

From my perspective, after watching the Peewee Chinooks all season, today's game showed a great level of improvement.  This has been a goal they have been working on throughout the season.

In the first period it was very plain to see that it would be a close game because both teams were performing very well. One thing that was really clearly shown to me is that some of the kids that you didn't notice earlier in the season were taking the puck up to the net and getting into the middle of the game. The defense was also back checking a lot more aggressively and taking the puck away, farther from the net. Offence was also going back a lot more and helping out the defense, as well as being a lot closer to the net and showing real teamwork and working together to pass and talk to each other on the ice.

Kainai also played the best that Pincher has ever seen them play. They forced Pincher to play the best that they could.

The Chinooks won the game 4-3.  The Chiefs' 3 goals all came from Tayson Royal with assists going to Jet Blackwater and Nick Fox.  No goals for the Chiefs in the second or third.

Scoring for the Chinooks in the first period were Ethan Grier and Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp, with assists going to Thunder Crowshoe and Easton Fitzpatrick.  Scoring for the Chinooks in the second period were Brandi Yellow Wings and Calim Yellow Face. Getting assists on those two plays were Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp, Calim Yellow Face and Brandi Yellow Wings.

Neither team scored in the third, largely due to excellent goaltending from Cupcake Krampe in the Chinooks' net and Walker Many Fingers in the Chiefs' net.

Chinooks #15 Trinity Tanner

Afterwards Peewee Chinooks Coach Brandon Yellow Wings said "It was a barnburner.  It got a little bit chippy out there, but that was bound to happen sooner or later.  We've been kind of building up a rivalry against Kainai, and it makes both the teams realy try harder, which is good.   The (Kainai) goalies pretty hot too, they really all played good."

Peewee Chinooks vs Lethbridge 4

Chris Davis

Lethbridge 4 is the top team in the Spud League Peewee B division, with 14 wins, no losses, and 2 ties during the regular season.  The Chinooks are on the list of teams they've decisively defeated.

Well,  they did it again. 7-0 for Lethbridge 4 over the Chinooks at the MCC arena on Sunday February 9.  Ouch.

Peewee Chinooks vs Vauxhall

Chris Davis

"Tuesday at 6:30 is our second game against Vauxhall. That one will be a good one.  They beat us 7 - 1, we've got to beat them by 7."  Chinooks Coach Brandon Yellow Wings told me a few days before the second of two Provincial playdown games against Vauxhall.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the way the puck bounced.  Vauxhall romped to a relatively easy 6-2 win over the Chinooks in game two, held at the MCC arena on Tuesday evening, February 11.  Vauxhall moves on in their Provincials quest.  The Chinooks now have to concentrate on Spud League playoffs.

Vauxhall scored one late in the first period to be ahead 1-0 at the buzzer.  Three Vauxhall goals in the second, and one goal by Chinooks #15 Trinity Tanner, assisted by the Ethan Grier. The penalty boxes started to overflow in the middle of the second.  Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp scored for the Chinooks in the third, also assisted by Grier, which was answered with one more goal by Vauxhall.

"It was a tough one," Yellow Wings said of the first playdown game, held in Vauxhall.   "It was too cold when we got there, that's why we didn't play very good."

As for the second game, Yellow Wings was pragmatic.   "We did what we set out to accomplish.  We held back #7 as best we could (Vauxhall's top scorer), it's a hard skating team.  Our kids kept up with them, and we did the best we could.  I'm proud of them."

"Sunday we play our last league game against (Lethbridge) #3, so if we beat them, we get a bye into the second round.  Then we'll play them in the second round.  When we beat them, we'll move into the 6th spot.  The last four will play the first round against one another.  Then we'll go from there, and clean up on all the rest of the teams."

"I know that we can beat any one of those teams in our league if we played like tonight.  We were pretty aggressive on the puck, forechecking, backchecking.  There were a few back passes that went up the middle, and this team you can't make any mistakes, they pick up on everything right away, and we paid for it."

"If we lose on Sunday, we'll play Kainai in the first round playoffs.  I'd rather just bypass that, give the boys a rest.  Get the opportunity to clean up on Lethbridge 3."

Does Coach Yellow Wings think the team has grown this season? "Leaps and bounds!  Really impressed. "