The Airdrie-Cochrane Avalanche minor midget hockey team defeated the NWCAA Bruins 8-2 in Cochrane, Dec. 4.
Mackenzie Bauer led the team with two goals and three assists and Connor Boyd followed up with two goals and an assist. Philip Anderson and Colby Chartier also recorded two points.
The win comes after a tough 1W-3L-1T November for the team.
“We got off to a really good start (in October),” said Avalanche head coach Jeff Hansen. “We definitely have one of the most skilled teams in the league, but we ran into a bit of adversity in November.
“It was a real, big win last weekend against a team we’d tied before. It was a moral victory for the boys and everyone’s starting to realize when we play as a team and everybody works hard, we win.”
The Avalanche had a strong start to the season, losing only twice in October, but November saw the team win only once when it defeated the Chestermere Raiders 4-0, Nov. 5.
“It was a little bit of complacency,” said Hansen. “We started the season 5W-1L and we just started to think that we were better than we were, the coaches included. We took teams too lightly and we weren’t mentally ready for some of those games.”
Despite its struggles, the win over Chestermere was a highlight for Avalanche goaltender, Micheal Conrad, who was released by the Raiders prior to the start of the season. He posted 35 saves for the shutout.
Conrad splits the goaltending duties with Jagar Gallant, and the pair have been solid for the Avalanche and backed up with scoring from the team’s top forwards.
“We have five or six players that are drafted into the WHL and they’ve been awesome,” said Hansen. “Our best players have been our best players. We also have a lot of secondary scoring from guys that show up every game and work hard. Talus Hume and Boyd are players that show up and finish every check. They’re gritty guys that love hockey, work hard everyday and are consistent.”
The game against the Bruins was the Avalanche’s last home game of the month as its next three games are on the road. Hansen believes that the home win will help them bank a few more wins before a two-week break for Christmas.
“We’ve got a really good group of kids and everybody brings a good work ethic every night,” he said. “We’re starting to see the value of working hard as a team and working together. That is what’s been taking us forward and making us better and stronger as a team.”
