After a hockey-filled weekend, two Boyle Blazers teams have won their way to the provincial championships. The atom Blazers and the peewee Blazers came out on top of their respective two-game playoffs to secure their spots in the provincial tournaments.
The home games took place back to back on March 1 at the Millview Arena with the atom team competing first against the Vermilion Tigers. The Blazers had taken the first game in Vermilion with a score of 5-3 and were coming into Saturday’s game with a two-goal cushion.
The first period was a back-and-forth battle with teams exchanging goals; the game went into the second with a 2--2 score.
Boyle scored the only goal of the second with just under five minutes left to take the lead to the final frame.
The third period went much the same as the first with teams exchanging goals down the stretch. With Boyle up by a goal, penalty trouble struck and saw them down two men.
Vermilion saw their chance and pulled the goalie to gain an extra man. The Vermilion risk was a reward for the Blazers, who were able to get the puck out of the Boyle zone and put it in the empty net to win the game 6--4.
“We’ve hit our stride in the last week,” said head coach Dmytro Sawka.
“They’re playing very well positionally; they’re working very hard.
“In this series, the kids have played their best hockey,” he added.
Next up were the peewee Blazers facing off in their second game against the Elk Point Avalanche. The Blazers had taken game one with a final score of 8--3 and so were sitting comfortably on a five-goal cushion.
However, it seemed the Avalanche were ready for the challenge. The first two periods saw heavy scoring from both teams, and at the end of two periods, the game was locked at 7--7. The Blazers entered the third intent on putting the game away and managed to do just that. Shutting out the Avalanche in the third, the Blazers took the game with a final score of 12--7.
Head coach Colin Derko said his team has been playing great all season and seem to be improving every time they hit the ice.
“It’s actually unbelievable how much they’ve improved,” he said. “It’s a great group — the best group I’ve ever coached.”
With the provincial tournament just around the corner, Derko has already been doing his research.
“I looked at all the stats from the other teams, and I think we’ve got a legitimate chance of taking it all,” Derko said.
The atom provincial tournament runs from March 13-–16 in Falher, while the peewee teams will be competing March 20–23 in Marwayne.
