The Airdrie Xtreme has put a four-game losing streak in the rear-view mirror, earning ties in its last two fixtures in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL).
The AAA team went goal-for-goal with the Calgary Northstar Sabres and Southeast Athletic Club Tigers Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, earning 3-3 draws in each game. Head coach Tyson Soloski said he was proud of the effort his players put forward.
“We were winning races to the puck and battling hard, which is always nice to see,” he said. “We’re playing the right way right now. We just can’t seem to buy a lot of goals, but it’s going to come.”
The two draws put Airdrie in second place of the Ram South Division, with a 4-10-4 record.
“I feel we’ve come a long way,” said Grady Hauk, defenceman and team captain. “We’ve definitely grown as a team, chemistry-wise and in the dressing room, and we’ve been showing that more on the ice.”
Apart from the division-leading Red Deer Rebels, which boasts an 11-1-2 record, the Ram South is highly competitive, with the teams in second through fourth separated by just two points.
Considering the top four teams from the Ram South qualify for the AMBHL playoffs, Soloski said games against division rivals come with added importance.
“We’re improving a lot, which is good to see,” he said. “It’s slowly coming, and you can see the work ethic the kids put in at practice.
“It’s showing in games and we’re finally learning that it takes 60 minutes to compete against the teams in this league. When we do that, we’re right in there.”
The Xtreme was back on the ice Dec. 3 (after press time) to take on the Calgary Flames.
Airdrie’s next home game will be Dec. 7 against the Okotoks Oilers – the last-placed team in the Ram South, with a 1-13-2 record. Puck-drop is slated for 4:15 p.m. at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
