After overcoming several obstacles this season, including injuries, suspensions and a shortage of players, the Westlock Tier 3 Midget Sabres are 1660 League champions after defeating the Lamont Hawks 3-2 March 20 at Jubilee Arena.
“It feels good,” said coach Jeff Copeland. “At the start of the year we never expected to get this far.”
The biggest challenge the team faced this year wasn’t on the ice — it was in getting enough players to play. Copeland said the team would not have existed if it weren’t for the work of five or six dedicated guys who brought everyone together.
Through the regular season, the Sabres compiled a record of 14-7-3 for a total of 31 points and second in their division behind their final opponents from Lamont. The team also led the league in goals against, surrendering a league-low 82 goals in 24 games.
The fact the team played — and won — its last game of the year at home was not lost on Copeland.
“It’s nice to win here at Jubilee because it’s the last time we’ll be here,” he said.
Playing a starring role in the team’s success was goalie Breann Dutchak, the only girl on the team. She said she felt the team’s performance was one of their best of the season.
“We played our best game all year,” she said. “Before the game our captain (Cody Cobler) gave a speech and it really pumped us up and we went from there.”
That speech paid dividends when Kevin Mayowski potted the first goal of the game for the Sabres 9:48 into the first period on an assist by Chase Rau. That would be the only goal of the period as the Sabres took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
In the second, Lamont fought back and managed to tie the game at 1-1 only 9:26 into the period. However, the Sabres kept pressing and at 14:47 Cam Teske put the puck in the net for a 2-1 lead. Ryan Latimer and Royce Hadley assisted on the goal.
That lead would hold up until 12:51 of the third period, when Lamont would score again to knot things up at 2-2.
After the game, Dutchak spoke of what was going through her mind at that moment when Lamont tied the game.
“I was kind of nervous, but I had to focus on doing the right thing,” she said.
It wouldn’t take long, however, for the Sabres to take the lead again. Sixty-one seconds after Lamont tied it, Eric Hardinge scored what turned out to be the winning goal to give his team a 3-2 lead on an assist from Les Zeise.
After the final buzzer and the post-game handshakes, 1660 League rep Bernice Cobler presented Cody Cobler with the 1660 League championship banner and the team retired to the dressing room to celebrate.
Taking advantage of the bragging rights being a champion conveys, Copeland said there was no doubt in his mind how good the Sabres were.
“We were the best team despite what the standings said,” he said. “They were the best players I could ask for. They went out and played a full 60 minutes every game.”
He added he’s proud of the boys, and Breann, and will be back to coach them next year if they show up.
