The Airdrie Xtreme moved into a tie atop the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League’s Ram South division following a 2-2 tie with the Calgary Northstar Sabres, in its first game at the Ron Ebbesen Arena in nearly a month, Nov. 28.
The Sabres outplayed the Xtreme (11W-4L-1T) for the first 35 minutes, but Airdrie rallied around goals by Tyler Wong and Kyle Pauls, as well as solid netminding by Christian Fitzgerald, to earn the single point and draw even with the Lethbridge Golden Hawks.
The Bantam AAA team still has three games in hand on the division-rival Hawks, who fell 6-3 to Okotoks, but head coach Terry Keogh thought the Xtreme gave away the second point to the Sabres (6W-7L-4T) during the Nov. 28 contest.
“We lost the extra point in the first two periods,” he said. “There is no reason for tying a team like that. The Wong goal and the physical play gave us a spark to turn it around, but we have to find that spark at the start of the games.”
The Sabres used their size advantage, physicality, and two second-period goals by forward Justin Peers, to control the play, but the Xtreme seemed to gain momentum after defenceman Tristan Thompson’s hit-from-behind penalty, and game misconduct, set off a line skirmish with four minutes remaining in the middle frame.
Airdrie killed the ensuing Sabre power play and Wong, playing on the new top line alongside Connor Boyd and Colby Chartier, found the puck moments later and tucked one between Calgary netminder Derek Mazil’s legs.
“Those were some of the changes we made after the Medicine Hat tournament and, up until today’s game, they’ve been putting a lot of points on the board,” Keogh said.
Pauls tied the game when he pounced on a rebound from Marshall Burr’s point shot 7:22 into the third. Airdrie had plenty of chances to take the lead in the final 10 minutes on three consecutive power plays, including a 52 second five-on-three, but couldn’t convert.
“(The Sabres) ended up with three shots in the third,” Keogh said. “They came out at us hard and played physical in the first two periods and, until the Wong goal, we didn’t start competing. We have to play with that sort of intensity for 60 minutes. If we do, it’s a different hockey team.”
The Xtreme’s next game is against the Red Deer Black Rebels at the Ron Ebbesen Arena Dec. 4 at 7:15 p.m.
“We’ve still got three games in hand (on Lethbridge), and the extra point today would have been nice in that battle, but we have a chance in some upcoming divisional games to make up the spread that is there,” Keogh said.
