Despite an early lead and a strong penalty kill, the Athabasca Aces fell to the Drayton Valley Wildcats 5-4 in overtime last Saturday to be eliminated from the North Central Hockey League (NCHL) playoffs.
The first period saw both teams with lots of energy fighting for the puck and control of the game at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex. With just over a minute left in the first period, the Aces’ Brent Hill put one by the Wildcats goalie to give the Aces the lead going into the first intermission.
The penalty trouble began in the second with the Aces playing most of the first half of the period short-handed. The Aces managed to kill off the first penalty, but the Wildcats capitalized on the second opportunity to tie the game. However, after killing off almost a full minute while two men short, the Aces managed to strike back with a goal from Keith Reade. A few minutes later, Reade would pot another to give the Aces a two-goal advantage. It was brief, though, as Drayton Valley managed a goal of their own to end the second with a score of 3-2 for the Aces.
The third period saw more high-energy play, but the Aces ran into penalty trouble again, allowing the Wildcats to tie the game on the power play. The Aces weren’t fazed, and Reade completed the hat trick to give his team back the lead.
The Aces would hold the lead until the final 19 seconds when, on their final push, the Wildcats were able to tie the game.
It would only a take a minute of extra time to decide this one. An early push from the Wildcats led to a goal that ended the game and the Aces’ season.
“We showed a lot of heart in this one,” said head coach Curtis Creaser. “I hope they feel good about the game they played. They should, anyway.”
Aces captain Joel Kiselyk shared the thought.
“I think tonight was a good game; we just had some tough breaks,” Kiselyk said. “I think we took a lot of the play and a lot of the chances, but it’s a difficult way to end.”
Hat trick-maker Reade commended his team on a good season.
“Everyone put in a solid effort tonight,” he said. “It was a hard effort all year, but we just didn’t get the breaks at the end.”
The NCHL playoffs continue with the winners of the north and south divisions facing off in a five-game series for who will represent the league at the provincial championships to be held March 28–30 in Morinville.
