The Athabasca Aces are getting hot at just the right time.
With two wins and an overtime loss in their last three games, they have collected five of a possible six points as the regular season winds down. With just one game left on the calendar (this Friday at home to Devon), the Aces are ready to get into the post-season and make some noise.
ìItíd be nice to continue the same positive attitude, and the same team mentality that weíve been having since the Christmas break,î said head coach Curtis Creaser.
With the exception of a disappointing home loss to Drayton Valley on Jan. 5, the Aces have been on something of a roll in 2013.
Two weekends ago they were in Edson to battle the Ice in a crucial pair of games.
With playoff positioning and momentum on the line, the Aces found a way to win both games. In the first game they won 6-4 and in the second they won 3-2 in overtime.
The games could be considered payback for an earlier pair in which the Ice defeated the Aces twice in Athabasca.
ìIn the first game, physically we dominated. We were hitting everything, really aggressive,î said the coach.
The second game wasnít as good of an effort, but goaltender Jeff Creaser pulled them through with a stellar performance.
ìWe didnít deserve to win that game. Jeff stood on his head and stopped everything.î
That set the table for this weekendís game in Drayton Valley. With a lineup of just 12 skaters, the Aces competed hard to keep pace with the Wildcats, overcoming a three-goal deficit at one point in the game and tying it up with 30 seconds left to force overtime.
In the final seconds of the extra frame, the home team scored to win.
ìConsidering the short bench, it was nice to get a point,î said the coach. ìItís a good character builder and a good building block towards the playoffs.î
Those will likely begin next weekend, and will almost certainly see the Aces battle Edson, which makes their recent sweep of the team even more important.
ìItís good to know we can beat them.î
Before the playoffs, the Aces have that final game of the regular season, at home this Friday night against the Barons with the puck dropping at 8:45 p.m. Though the Barons are still the league leaders, Creaser thinks that cracks are starting to show, so he wants to see his team make a statement with a win on Friday.
ìI think their team morale is down a little bit, and we donít want to give them anything to build off of.î
A win on Friday would serve as one final push of momentum heading into the playoffs.
