ATHABASCA – Athabasca's U18 Hawks were a long way from home last weekend, travelling to Calgary for the Tier 1 Provincial Championships, and while they finished at the bottom of their pool after three games, and were eliminated from playoff contention, it was still a fitting end for many of their minor hockey careers after two incomplete seasons.
The Hawks were in familiar company, with the Barrhead Steelers and La Crete Lumberjacks, Northern Alberta Interlock tier-mates whom they’ve played many times this season, also making the trip. Both were in a different pool though and the Hawks ended up dropping games to three less-than-familiar teams in the form of the host Calgary Knights; the NWZ Thunder from Edmonton; and the 3 C’s Coyotes, out of Coronation.
The Knights were first up Thursday night, March 31, to open the tournament, and took an early lead 24 seconds into the contest, then scoring two more before the Hawks could respond with a goal by Lochlan Heffernan from Peyton Alix at the 4:11 mark of the second to make it 3-1 Knights.
The Knights pulled away in the third, with TJ Bobocel scoring the Hawks only other goal, from Tristen Durell, at 11:07 of the third. The Knights finished off the Hawks with an 8-2 thumping.
The next day, the Hawks took a run at the NWZ Thunder, but found themselves shutout after 20 minutes, with five goals against. Durell notched the first for the Hawks at 7:33 of the second, with assists going to Dryden McNamara and Karcyn Radmanovich. Radmanovich then scored one of his own, from Bobocel, and Alix scored another 14 seconds later on a pass from Durell.
A rather rambunctious two frames full of head contact, boarding and cross-checking penalties on both sides, escalated in the third, which the Hawks entered down 6-3. Radmanovich scored the last of four goals for the Hawks, with an unassisted marker at 8:41 of the final frame, but once again their opponents clipped their wings with a 12-4 decision.
The Hawks were ready to fly high in their Saturday game against the Coyotes, and despite falling behind by two early, managed to claw their way back by the middle of the second with goals from Radmanovich and Bobocel, both assisted by Durell.
The Coyotes went up again a few minutes later, but a quick response from Bobocel and Durell 11 seconds later tied it at 3-3. Before the end of the middle frame though, the Coyotes scored what would turn out to be the deciding goal, then potted another late in the third to claim the 5-3 win.
The Hawks finished the tournament with a 9/25 goal differential. Durell led the team with six points, while Radmanovich and Bobocel each had four points for the tournament.
The SW Cougars from Calgary won the championship final 5-2 Sunday afternoon over the NWZ Thunder.
As far as those more familiar teams the Hawks didn’t get to play at provincials, the Barrhead Steelers who finished second in the Northern Alberta Interlock Tier 1 season, also racked up an 0-3 record, while the first place La Crete Lumberjacks finished with a 2-1 record, but lost to NWZ in the semifinal.
