Lacrosse: Teams wrap up regular season schedules in busy weekend

By Sean Rooney on June 20, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

With playoffs on the horizon, Medicine Hat lacrosse teams had a crazy weekend wrapping up the respective regular seasons.

For a few teams, that meant doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday —not that they seemed to slow down by the end of the ride.

One Sun Devils’ peewee team went 3-1, finishing their regular season 8-4. On Saturday they opened with an 8-3 loss to Brooks, despite goals from Madden Kelly, Brooklynne Painter and Christian Niebergall. But they rebounded in a big way.

Later Saturday they stormed to a 20-1 win over Claresholm, led by six goals each from Jack Henry Hudson Gainer. Then on Sunday they beat Lethbridge 21-2, getting five from Henry and four from Niebergall.

Their weekend was punctuated by a 14-1 win over Lethbridge’s other team, Daine Mattson coming eight minutes away from a rare shutout as 10 different players found the back of the net. Austin Watts had three to lead the way.

The other Hat peewee team racked up two easy wins Saturday, 24-2 over Claresholm and 20-3 over Nanton.

Torin Thickson had five goals while Josh Evaschesen, Wyatt Dreger and Baker Thompson each added three in the win over Claresholm. Thickson, Dreger, Thompson and Silas Swan each had hat tricks against Nanton as the team finished the regular season 11-1.

Medicine Hat is hosting Southern Alberta Lacrosse Association peewee playoffs Saturday and Sunday at the Kinplex.

Midget

With more than a month between league games, you might’ve wondered if any rust had set in to the midget Sun Devils’ game.

After scoring 37 goals in two games Sunday, you needn’t wonder any more.

Medicine Hat beat the Brooks Drillers 14-6 at the Kinplex, then destroyed the Claresholm Rockmen 23-1 to improve to 3-2-1 in league play.

Bryson Helmle had the last four goals against Brooks, adding plenty of insurance against a team the Devils had tied back in May. Ethan Machan had a hat trick while Quinn Canadine, Ty Moore and Lyndon Milnthorp had two each.

It was 10-1 after one period against Claresholm, after which the only question was how many Hat players would hit the scoresheet. The answer was 11, led by four each from Moore, Machan and Callen Prosofsky.

League playoffs go this weekend in Lethbridge, with the Devils opening against the Rockmen Friday.

Bantam

It was a ridiculously busy weekend for the bantam Sun Devils.

Medicine Hat teams played a combined nine games at the Kinplex, getting the regular season finished before league playoffs this weekend.

Sun Devils No. 1 opened with an 8-4 loss to Lethbridge No. 1 on Saturday, then edged Lethbridge No. 2 by a narrow 6-5 margin. But that wasn’t the end of their day. A 17-0 win over Crowsnest Pass didn’t wrap up until the sun was going down.

Meanwhile the Sun Devils No. 2 fell 8-4 to Lethbridge No. 2, then beat the Crowsnest Pass team 15-4.

On Sunday, the two Hat teams went head-to-head, with a similar result each time. Devils No. 1 won 17-7 and 14-3 to finish the SALA regular season 8-3. Devils No. 2 went 4-8.

Playoffs start Friday in Lethbridge.

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