The hockey season is all but over for the midget Boyle Blazers.
Though the team will travel to Banff later this month to play in one last tournament, the season came to its natural conclusion last week with the culmination of the Sturgeon Pembina Hockey League championship series.
The Blazers were down one game to Edson in the best-of-three series heading into game two at the Millview Recreation Complex last Wednesday.
The host team, determined to stay alive, came out of the gate strong and controlled the play in the first half of the game, building up a 4-1 lead on the strength of goals from Shayne Anderson (two), Kyle Wlos and Braeden Zilinski.
But they couldn’t hold on, as Edson chipped away at the lead in the second period and finally took over in the third, pacing themselves to a 6-4 advantage.
Wlos added one more goal, but the Blazers couldn’t get any closer and the game ended in a 6-5 Edson victory, clinching the championship for the visiting team.
“They’re a pretty tough team. We were up on them, but we couldn’t hold them,” explained Boyle head coach Dan Maloney.
A number of Boyle players competed in the game in spite of injuries in an effort to help the team come back.
It may not have worked out, but the coach was still impressed with the effort and dedication of his team.
“They fought hard all year,” he said.
The club was first in the SPHL standings for most of the season. They bounced back from a relatively poor season last year, and had a lot of fun doing it.
“It was a very successful year. They grew together,” said Maloney, noting that a number of players will be eligible to return next year as well.
One such player, Wlos, is looking forward to it.
“We won more games this year and played as a team better,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be better next year.”
Wlos also had kind words for the Boyle fans, who packed the arena on Wednesday night, just as they have throughout the season.
“It’s good they came out and helped cheer us on.”
