The Athabasca Aces will have a couple of weeks to think about their loss to the Slave Lake Winterhawks last Friday.
The Aces welcomed Slave Lake to the Athabasca Regional Multiplex on Nov. 4 and the game was hard fought as the teams renewed hostilities from last season’s playoff series. But the momentum that helped the Aces to a 4-1 start to the season faltered and the home team lost the game 7-3.
“We got off to a bad start,” said head coach Tony Kiselyk. “We were down three goals, and against a good team that’s almost insurmountable. When you’re battling from behind the whole game, you make one mistake and you’re done. It’s too hard to get back.”
Sure enough, three goals proved to be a deficit the Aces couldn’t overcome, though they eventually found the net three times themselves.
The Aces will need to patch up some holes in their defense as they were victimized for four goals after turning the puck over on Friday night. Some breakdowns and defensive lapses in the their own zone were costly for the team.
“We need to work on some positioning, and be a little tougher in our end,” said the coach.
The speedy Aces also found themselves losing some races for the first time this season, as Slave Lake were an even faster team on Friday.
“I keep touting our team speed, but we couldn’t keep up with them,” he said. By the time the Aces found their legs, the game was out of reach.
The Aces now have some time off, with no game set for this coming weekend. Their next action will be Saturday, Nov. 19 when they’re on the road to take on the league leading Drayton Valley Wildcats. The next day they’ll be up against the Rocky Rams.
They don’t play at home again until Friday, Nov. 25 when they host the Legal Vipers at 8:45 p.m.
The schedule isn’t ideal, but holes were left in it by the departure of the Onoway Ice Dogs from the league.
“A weekend off is not what we need, but it is what it is,” said the coach. “A week off isn’t going to help you get prepared for (Drayton Valley).”
The Aces are 4-2 and second in the North Central Hockey League, but that could change quickly in a competitive league like the NCHL.
“I don’t think there is any lower end team. Everyone is beating everybody.”
