NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN South East Athletic Club Tigers defenceman Cole Unger is driven into the boards by Leduc Oil Kings forward Owen Banks during an Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League game at Hockey Hounds Arena on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.
The Southeast Athletic Club’s bantam AAA Tigers began their season on home ice with a loss and a tie this past weekend.
At Hockey Hounds Arena Saturday, the Tigers were handed a 3-1 loss by Leduc’s Woodbend Oil Kings. Two goals in the first 3:10 gave the visitors exactly the punch they were looking for, then they clamped down defensively around goalie Jack Thompson.
Dawson Seitz got the only Tigers goal mid-way through the second period, but Thompson saved the other 32 shots sent his way.
Silas Currie made 20 saves in SEAC’s net.
Hosting the Airdrie Xtreme on Sunday, the Tigers got off to a better start when Julian Laqua scored in the first period. However, that power play goal came after Seitz was injured on a check gone wrong, the Airdrie player who delivered it given a game misconduct.
Sammy Hynes made it 2-0 with 9:20 left in the third period, but Airdrie turned up the intensity and got two goals from Haruki Morikawa including the game-tying marker with 1:10 to go.
Beck Boiteau made 30 saves in the Tigers net to earn the single point in a 2-2 tie.
Southeast is on the road next weekend.
Midget 15’s
SEAC’s midget 15-year-old team begins its season with home games this Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday they host the Calgary Blazers at 2 p.m., followed by Sunday’s 12:15 p.m. tilt at Hockey Hounds against the Bruins.
Midget AA
After unfurling a provincial banner, Medicine Hat’s midget AA team has struck a sponsor deal which gives them a new name this season.
The defending Alberta champs will be known as the Jasper Homes Hounds as they hit the ice to start the regular season Saturday in Lethbridge.
Coach Randy Wong reported that the team has only six returnees from last season, but went 2-0-1 in a pre-season tournament in Taber this past weekend.
They beat Wheatland 7-2, Taber 4-1 and tied Lethbridge 3-3.
Medicine Hat’s first home game is Oct. 12 at the Kinplex.
Bantam AA
The South Central Alberta Hockey League season began Sunday for the Medicine Hat bantam AA Hounds, who earned a 3-1 win over Taber.
Zach Herman had two goals and Austin Watts the other at Hockey Hounds Arena. Tyler Wakelam made 28 saves.
The team hosts Taber again this Saturday, but at the Kinplex (6:15 p.m.).
Peewee AA
For the first time in five years, Medicine Hat has two peewee AA teams. Naturally, they started the season by playing head-to-head.
Orange beat Black 5-2 Saturday at Hockey Hounds, scoring two goals 48 seconds apart in the third period to break a 2-2 deadlock.
Slade McFadzean’s second of the night held up as the game-winner, then he made it a hat trick five minutes later. Grady Ford had the 4-2 goal, while Joey Clarke had the first of the night for Orange.
Ryan Miller and Cole Fisher responded for Black, which got 33 saves from goalie Kolter Gans.
Pryce Velichko made 26 saves in the Orange net for the win.
Medicine Hat went with one peewee AA team the past few years and dominated the SCAHL.
