Streak over but peewee Hounds still earn spot at provincials

By Sean Rooney on March 20, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

In the end, the Medicine Hat peewee AA Hounds are off to provincials —like most of their fans thought they’d be.

But they’re going without the weight of a season-long unbeaten streak on their shoulders.

At Lacombe Saturday, the Central Alberta Selects ended Medicine Hat’s streak with a 5-4 win that forced a deciding game in the South Central Alberta Hockey League’s best-of-three championship series.

It was the Hounds’ first loss in 41 games.

Chase Welker was a boy on a mission for the Selects, scoring three goals including the winner with two minutes left in the third period. Medicine Hat’s Shane Smith had just tied it 97 seconds earlier with his second goal of the game, while Gavin Smith and Dawson Seitz had the Hounds’ other goals.

Brady Burns also factored heavily for Central, making 48 saves as his team was outshot 52-32. Only eight minor penalties were called in the game —five to Central and three to Medicine Hat.

Unphased, the Hounds returned home Sunday to the Kinplex and laid an emphatic 11-2 drubbing on the Selects to clinch the banner. The game saw 23 minor penalties called (14 to Central and nine to Medicine Hat, plus a double minor to Central).

Stewart and Josh Van Mulligen each had two goals and three assists in Game 3, while Shane Smith had three goals and an assist. Elias Eisenbarth had two goals and an assist, Seitz and Deegan Kinniburgh each had a goal and two assists and both Cole Unger and Caleb Garrecht had a helper. Silas Currie made 18 saves, giving up goals to Welker and Dylan Ronald.

Now the Hounds prepare for Hockey Alberta provincials, which will be held March 29-April 1 in Calgary. The five-team tournament includes the host team plus champions from northern Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton.

11
-10