Another game tonight, another nerve-jangler.
It’s that time of the season when the stakes increase, the chance of glory gets ever closer, and every game seems a do-or-die encounter.
The Barrhead Steelers will once again have to show their steel as they take on the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers in the best-of-five Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League final series.
The teams are tied 1-1, so a loss would not be a disaster for the Steelers, but it would be a setback in their quest to end a fantastic season as champions.
“Every game is a huge one at this time of the year,” said coach Greg Schmidt. “There are no easy games.”
The results in the opening two games mimic those in the Steelers’ semifinal playoff against the powerful KC Colts: a home defeat followed by a road win.
Schmidt is hoping the pattern continues with a big and enthusiastic Agrena crowd roaring the Steelers to victory.
“I am sure we will get a good crowd,” he said. “We have a great group of people who come out and see us every game.”
In their decisive 6-2 victory against KC Colts, the Steelers seemed to feed off the energy of their fans. The crowd became the equivalent of an extra player.
After Connor Tiemstra scored a spectacular solo goal at the end of the second period to put a short-handed Steelers 4-2 up there was as much celebration in the bleachers as on the rink.
When the Steelers and Rangers face off at 7:15 p.m. tonight at the Agrena, the atmosphere is likely to be just as electric.
“The boys get pretty excited in front of a crowd,” said Schmidt.
The Steelers had an inauspicious start to the series, losing 2-4 at the Agrena on Thursday, March 22.
It wasn’t that they played badly. Just the opposite, in fact. But the killer touch was missing.
They also experienced the frustration of playing against an inspired Rangers’ goaltender, who withstood a barrage of shots.
The score clock at the end of the game showed the Steelers had out-shot their opponents by 48-23.
After Brandon Whiting scored at 7:37 in the first period to cancel out the Rangers’ opening goal, the Steelers appeared to have woken up from their slumbers.
Then came two quick-fire Rangers’ goals and Schmidt decided to shake things up for the next two periods. He changed goaltenders, hoping to give his side a new look and approach.
The tactic worked as the Steelers made repeated sorties into the Rangers’ half. When Jorrey Jensen scored from close-range at 3:31 in the third period it seemed the Steelers had finally found the key to the Rangers’ goal.
The celebrations were shortlived, however, after Lane Morin blasted the puck into the net to restore the Rangers’ two-goal cushion.
“There is a lot of frustration in the dressing room,” said Schmidt afterwards. “Their goaltender had a heck of a good game. It was just one of those days when we did everything but score. I’m sure the tide will turn if we continue to play as well.”
He was right. In Saturday’s away game, the Steelers bounced back with a 5-3 victory.
Austin Caldwell opened the Steelers’ account at 17:09 in the first period, while Brett Bujold (12:22) and Jonathan Cyr (1:09) scored second period goals.
The Steelers’ fourth and fifth goals came in the third period from Spencer Voight (11:45) and Jorrey Jensen (1:03).
“It was a really good game,” said Schmidt on Sunday. “I thought our guys played well. We probably did not outplay them like we did in the first match, but we found a way past their goaltender.”
