NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
South Alberta Hockey Academy goaltender Marek Andres makes a glove save on Calgary Edge forward Marcus Nguyen while Austin Derzaph (3) defends during a Canadian Sport School Hockey League game on Friday at the Canalta Centre.
South Alberta Hockey Academy’s U18 male prep squad made its Canadian Sport School Hockey League debut in front of limited spectators over the weekend, while the U18 female team kicked off its campaign with a pair of co-ed clashes in Oyen — and both picked up their first wins.
The boys kicked off their season with a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Calgary’s Edge School on Friday night at the Canalta Centre, but bounced back to take a 5-1 win Saturday before dropping a 3-2 rubber match on Sunday in Calgary.
“The guys worked hard for it and played a really, really good game,” said SAHA male prep head coach Brayden Desjardins. “Edge is a really good school, a really established sports school in this league. So, to beat them, even if it was just one of the three, was really exciting.”
Over in Oyen, SAHA cruised to a 7-2 win over the town’s U15 boys squad before completing the sweep in a 4-3 battle Sunday.
“I think, for both sides it’s nice to be back on the ice and playing a game. It’s been since March,” said SAHA U18 female prep head coach Evan Vossen. “I thought our girls came out and had a lot of jump and a lot of energy. I really liked the work ethic that we put forth, definitely on Saturday but on Sunday as well.”
Marek Andres made 27 stops to hold SAHA in a one-goal game Friday, but his teammates were unable to get anything past Edge goaltender Cam Hrdlicka, who earned a 28-save shutout thanks to Caden Steinke’s lone goal.
SAHA stormed back in Saturday’s matinee at the Canalta Centre. Tanner Gold got things going just over four minutes into the first, netting SAHA’s first-ever CSSHL goal to give his squad a lead after 20. Ethan Machan kept the offence rolling late in the second, then Medicine Hat Tigers prospects Cayden Glover and Tyler MacKenzie tacked on for three goals in just over four minutes. Vann Yuhas picked up helpers on all four of SAHA’s opening goals before Edge finally pushed back in the dying minutes with one from Adam Capka.
Machan struck again late in the third to seal the victory. Glover and MacKenzie both finished with three points.
Bodee Weiss stopped 29 shots to earn the win, while Hrdlicka posted 28 saves in the loss.
SAHA put together another spirited effort Sunday in Calgary, getting goals from Roman Cherniak and Tabby prospect Oren Shtrom to take a 2-1 lead into the second, but Edge rallied to the victory on goals from Calin Dezainde, Niko Valimaki and Brody McGuire.
Andres had another strong effort spoiled, taking the loss on 37 saves, while Hrdlicka bounced back with a 22-save victory.
“Our goaltending gave us a chance in every game,” said Desjardins. “I thought they looked really confident, really composed. Obviously we’re a totally new team, none of these guys have played for me before with the exception of (Josh) Van Mulligen. For them to come into a system and actually have to try and execute it, we knew it was going to be pretty scrambly, so for (the goalies) to really stabilize us when we needed them to was huge.”
On the female side, Brooklynne Painter netted SAHA’s first goal of the fall on Saturday. Alyssa McCasey then followed up for a two-goal lead after 20.
Chantelle Richard and Kendal Davidson added two more goals apiece and Mya Lawrence rounded out the scoring while outshooting the boys 43-17 for the win. Sunday’s victory featured a goal and two assists from both Richard and Sydney Chrusch, one of each from Davidson, a tally out of McCasey and an apple from Ally Murray.
SAHA’s Devyn Amundson, Sydney Carlson and Hali Lawrence shared responsibilities between the pipes in the victories. Amundson stopped all six in the first half of Saturday’s game, Carlson made a total 17 saves on 20 shots over two games, and Lawrence stopped 8-of-10 Sunday.
