In their first game of 2013, the Athabasca Aces delivered an effort that left a lot to be desired, according to head coach Curtis Creaser.
Playing at home in front of a sizable crowd at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, the Aces got an early lead over the visiting Drayton Valley Wildcats before letting it slip away in what became a 4-2 loss.
After the game, Creaser was in no mood to mince words.
ìThe effort was 50 per cent,î he said after his team had come off the ice. ìThere was no urgency, no heart.î
Urgency is an element the Aces will have to add to their game, and quickly. The playoffs are drawing ever closer and they need to position themselves well in the standings. They also need to be at their best in time for the first round, in which they will play either Devon or Edson.
ìItís all tuning up (for the playoffs),î said the coach. ìWeíll need to be a lot better than what we were tonight.î
Creaser believes his Aces are a better team than the Wildcats, and the standings supported his claim until the game last night; with the win, Drayton Valley moved one point ahead of Athabasca. The Aces owned the advantage in shots (34-25) but that was not indicative of a dominant effort.
ìWe didnít bury our chances; some guys are having trouble scoring,î he said. ìWeíve got to win the little battles. There are a lot of little things we didnít do very well.î
If thereís one trouble spot for the Aces, itís their consistency. Creaser has noted an increasingly frustrating pattern in which the team plays a fantastic game only to follow it with a sub-par effort. That was the case with their effort Saturday night, which had been preceded by a big win over Devon before the Christmas break.
Creaser rejected the notion that the break was a factor in the loss, noting the Wildcats were in the same boat.
The game wasnít completely without positives. The coach noted that defense remained relatively tight, and he applauded the efforts of both Shaun Kiselyk and Tanner Chamberlain in the game. But he still expects better next weekend, when the Aces will be in Edson for a pair of crucial games.
Their next home game is Friday, Jan. 25 when theyíll host Devon.
