For the first time in ages, the Airdrie Techmation Thunder has its back against the ropes.
As of Feb. 25, Airdrie’s junior-B hockey team is down 2-1 in its second-round, best-of-seven playoff series against the Mountainview Colts.
Despite being down, Thunder head coach Derek Stamp ensures the team is not out.
“Overall, we feel pretty good heading into Game 4,” he said.
The series opener was held Feb. 21 at the Ron Ebbesen Arena. Airdrie took an early lead after a first-period snipe from 21-year-old forward Brayden Dunn.
The game continued without further goalmouth action until the Colts tied it up in the last 10 minutes, to force overtime. Smelling blood, the Didsbury-based squad put the lid on the game with an early OT tally from Brandon Rude.
“You have to tip your hat – the Colts were relentless on the puck all night, and they were rewarded with two points for their efforts,” Stamp said.
Playing in Didsbury the following night, Mountainview doubled its series lead over the Thunder with an 8-6 victory. Airdrie’s Jordan McConnell scored a hat trick in the loss.
Though the Thunder was outshot 49-36 in Game 3, Airdrie came out victorious Feb. 24 with a hard-fought 4-3 win on home ice. Goals came from Tristan Paquette, Ty Petrie, Zachary Dubois and Luke Jensen.
Game 4 took place in Didsbury Feb. 26 (after press time) while Game 5 will be held Feb. 28 at 8:15 p.m. at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
Game 6, if necessary, will go Feb. 29 in Didsbury, while Game 7 is pencilled in on March 2 at 8:15 p.m. in Airdrie.
Xtreme set for playoffs:
After missing out on the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL) playoffs last year, the Airdrie Xtreme is back in the post-season.
The city’s AAA boys’ bantam hockey team capped off the 2019-20 regular season in second place of the AMBHL Ram South Division, with an 11-17-5 record. While the Xtreme ended the schedule on a four-game losing skid, head coach Tyson Soloski said the players are ready for the playoffs.
“We lost the last few games there, but before that, we had won five in a row, and we didn’t lose in January,” he said. “I think we’ll be prepared, with how we’ve been playing. Facing a little bit of adversity right before the playoffs is never a bad thing, so I think we’re going to come out ready to play.”
Despite fielding a mostly-new roster this season, the team managed to qualify as the five-team division’s second seed.
“[Making the playoffs] is pretty rewarding for the kids, for all the hard work they’ve put in throughout the year,” Soloski said. “I think it will be a really cool opportunity for them to experience playoff hockey, since our first-year players last year didn’t have the chance.”
Airdrie’s first playoff opponent is a familiar foe – the Southeast Athletic Club (SEAC) Tigers. The Xtreme faced the Medicine Hat-based team four times during the regular season – resulting in a win, a loss and two ties.
“It’s going to be a really tight series that comes down to the little details and who wants it more,” Soloski said. “It should be fun to be a part of a good series, and hopefully we’ll come out on the right end of it.”
Game 1 of the best-of-three series was held Feb. 25 (after press time) at the Ron Ebbesen Arena. Game 2 goes Feb. 27 in Medicine Hat, while the rubber game, if necessary, will be back in Airdrie Feb. 28 at 5 p.m.
Bisons' season over
While the Xtreme will enjoy a playoff run, it was another premature end to the season for the Airdrie CFR Chemical Bisons, as the U17 squad failed to make the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League (AMHL) playoffs for the third consecutive year.
In the Bisons final regular-season game Feb. 15, a 9-3 defeat to the Calgary Northstars kept the team at the bottom of the Chrysler South Division with a 6-24-2 record.
According to head coach Dustin Taylor, it took time for some players to adjust to the demands of the AMHL – the top league for high-school-age hockey players in Alberta.
“A lot of them had never played hockey at this high of a level, this often,” he said. “A lot of them learned how to play the game more consistently and with more maturity. It’s not just a run-and-gun game, and they needed to learn to have some structure when they play.”
On a positive note, Taylor said he expects 12 to 14 players to return next season, allowing the team to build off the pre-established chemistry.
