The 2011-12 North Central Hockey League season will be remembered as one of great highs and lows for the Athabasca Aces and their fans.
They reached higher than they ever had before in finishing third in the seven-team league with a record of 10-9-1. In addition to a number of returning players, the Aces drew on the talents of a number of newcomers who helped them climb the standings. And though they’ve traditionally struggled after the Christmas break, this season they went on a tear in the New Year and were one of the best teams in the league heading into the playoffs.
Despite all those accomplishments, however, the low point of being eliminated in the first round by the Legal Vipers prevents the season from being considered a complete success.
“I don’t know if we got too confident, or what. It’s just the way it goes,” offered Aces head coach Tony Kiselyk a week after his team’s elimination from the playoffs. “As a coach you’re always thinking, is there something you could have done better or different. In the last game, there was a sense of momentum going the other way.
“I can’t imagine losing the Stanley Cup, it must bother you forever,” he chuckled. “This is still bothering me.”
The coach noted that the final game on Feb. 12 was closer than the 6-1 score indicated, with the Aces outshooting the Vipers but being unable to put the puck past their goaltender. Whatever the reason for the loss, it was the Aces who were sent to the sidelines after the series.
“It was tough,” noted team captain Darcy Tangedal. "In the end, you’re playing to win it all, and not winning it all leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. It’s a tough league. You’ve got to be prepared to play and put out your best effort, and we didn’t do it at the right time.”
But the season’s end doesn’t diminish the team’s accomplishments, and it can’t be denied that the Aces took a step forward this season.
“It was the best team we’ve had so far,” said Kiselyk. “We added some real good scoring punch, and adding some stronger defense was a key to this season. When you add two or three players in the right situations it can turn your team around.”
The team will now look ahead to next year, their fifth in the NCHL, while keeping fond memories of their fourth.
“Our executive is the class of the league, right from there down to the coaching staff, and I’m including the fans,” raved Tangedal. “If we ever get past the first round we’ll fill the stands and there will be some serious excitement in town over senior A hockey. It’s disappointing not to get there, but the support has been awesome.”
The coach agreed.
“Overall it was a good fun year. We provided a good exciting brand of hockey for people,” he said.
“I want to thank our sponsors, supporters, and executive members. It was a lot of fun and a good way to pass the winter.”
