The regular season came to a close for the Athabasca Aces last Friday with a 4-3 loss to the Slave Lake Winterhawks.
The Aces played host to the best team in the North Central Hockey League at the Multiplex. They fell just short of handing Slave Lake their first regulation loss of the season, tying the game at 3-3 in the third period. But the Winterhawks bounced right back and scored to regain the lead, after which they held off the Aces and won the game.
“They’re such a good team,” said Athabasca head coach Tony Kiselyk, who was pleased with his team’s effort despite the loss. “We pushed them hard.”
The Aces would have liked to have given Slave Lake a loss to think about as the top team sits out the first round of the playoffs. But the Aces themselves will now focus on their first round date with the Legal Vipers. Legal beat Edson on the weekend, allowing the Aces to finish third in the standings.
The series against the Vipers will begin at the Multiplex on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.
The Aces won four of their six games against Legal this season, but they aren’t taking them lightly.
“We match up good against them, but you never look to the future.”
The series will continue in Legal for a second game the following weekend. Fans are welcome to join the team on the bus and cheer them on.
