The Airdrie Xtreme split a pair of games last weekend – a 7-3 loss to the Calgary Bisons in Three Hills on Nov. 13 and a 5-0 win over the division-leading Lethbridge Golden Hawks, Nov. 14.
“When we look at the first period of Saturday, versus the game Sunday, it was like we had two different teams on the ice,” said Xtreme head coach Terry Keogh.
Tyler Wong, JP Gingrus and Colby Chartier scored the Xtreme’s goals against the Bisons, but they couldn’t comeback from a 5-3 first period deficit.
Malcolm Walilko had the loss in net, while Christian Fitzgerald played the final two periods.
“We talked about getting back to basics in the defensive zone,” Keogh said. “We made a few changes between the first and second period, but unfortunately we had dug ourselves into too big of a hole.”
The Calgary Bisons, who are firmly in first place in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League’s Challenger South Division, feature the league’s top two scorers with Tanner McMaster and Brayden Point.
“We knew that going in, but we somehow got in our heads that we had to be all offence and forgot about defence – and that’s not the way to play against that team,” Keogh said. “Our d-zone play, in the first period, was probably the worst it’s been all year.”
A day later, Wong had a five-point afternoon to lead Airdrie over its division rivals. Mackenzie Bauer added two goals, while defenseman Roman Melzer added another. Fitzgerald earned the shutout in net.
“Games in your own division are so important, as you’re either going to gain some ground or lose some ground,” Keogh said.
“We got back to the way we’ve playing of late and the end result showed it.”
Airdrie remains in second place in the AMBHL’s Ram South Division, four points behind Lethbridge, but with four games in hand.
The Xtreme began a tournament in Medicine Hat on Nov. 18, which will wrap up on Nov. 21.
The team returns home to face the Calgary Northstars, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m., at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
