A nearly perfect regular-season record has clinched the Airdrie Xtreme first place in the Alberta Elite Hockey League's (AEHL) south division standings with four games to spare.
The local U15 AAA boys' team is currently rocking a 29-1-0 record in league play, putting the Xtreme well ahead of the pack of their AEHL division rivals.
The Xtreme's dominance means that even if they were to lose their four remaining fixtures, they would still finish atop the AEHL's south division, as they have a 12-point lead over the second-place Calgary Bisons at the moment.
However, given the Xtreme's record to date, wins seem more likely than losses in the weeks to come.
“It feels great,” said head coach Tyson Soloski. “I think it's a really good accomplishment for the regular season. But our end goal is to hopefully win a provincial championship, so there's lots of work still left to do. Our team feels confident, but we'll definitely be prepared for playoffs and provincials.
“We have four games left and a couple tough games still, so it should be a good finish.”
Only one other team has rivalled Airdrie's points total in the AEHL this year – the St. Albert Sabres, who have a 29-2-0 record and enjoy a similarly gaping lead at the top of the north division standings. Despite their similar records, the Xtreme recently beat the Sabres by a whopping 9-1 scoreline two weeks ago.
“That was pretty impressive for our group,” said Soloski, who noted St. Albert came into that thumping on a 20-game win streak.
The Xtreme's form in February is enough to make most of their AEHL opponents tremble in their skates. In addition to their eight-goal win over St. Albert, Airdrie has produced 8-0, 7-1, and 6-1 victories this month.
They have scored 182 goals in 30 games this season (an average of over six per game) and have conceded just 56, giving them the best defensive record in the league.
While the team's accomplishments have already been impressive, Soloski was cautious in getting too carried away. Last year also saw the Xtreme coast to a first-place finish in the south division standings, before the team's playoff run ended somewhat disappointingly, as the Airdronians only managed to finish fourth at the ensuing U15 AAA provincial championships.
“I think we have some experienced players from last year's team that know how it feels to not be successful at the end of the year, and that's going to help us push through this year's playoffs and hopefully into provincials,” the head coach said. “Hopefully we'll be able to win it this year.”
Airdrie will be on the road this weekend with games against the Grand Peace Golden Arrow Storm in Grande Prairie on Feb. 18 and the Red Deer Rebels on Feb. 19.
The Xtreme will then see out the regular season on Feb. 25 and 26 with a pair of home games against the Okotoks Oilers and Calgary Northstars. Puck-drop for those games is at 4:30 and 1:30 p.m., respectively, at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
