Caleb Garrecht of the U18 AA Medicine Hat Hounds fires a puck on net in the first period of the Hounds 6-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday morning at the Hockey Hounds Recreation Centre. - NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat U18 AA Hounds settled for a second-place finish as hosts of the South Central Alberta Hockey League South Division playoffs with a 4-2 loss to the Wheatland Chiefs in Sunday’s final at the Hockey Hounds Recreation Centre.
Kyle Woolridge scored twice to put the Hounds in front 2-0 after 40 minutes, but the Chiefs rallied for four unanswered goals in the third to skate away with the South title.
Kaiden Morin stopped 32 shots in the loss.
The Hounds opened the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Wheatland on Thursday, but followed it up with a 6-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes and a 6-0 victory over the Foothills Bisons on Friday before defeating the Okotoks Oilers 3-2 in Saturday’s semifinal.
Joseph Hackett and Joshua Drefs scored in Thursday’s loss, with Drefs adding an assist for a two-point outing. Morin stopped 30 shots in the loss.
Kadin Pahl and Woolridge both scored twice in Friday’s win over Lethbridge, while Jackson Bowal had three assists, Brady Mahar and Zach Hauck both had a goal and a helper, and Caleb Garrecht finished with two assists. Morin turned away 30 in the win.
Garrecht led the offence in Friday’s win over Foothills with two goals and an assist, while Jacob Hazzard had one of each and Drefs added a pair of helpers.
Woolridge, Gavin Smith and Brennin Wereley rounded out the scoring, and Tyler Wakelam stopped 18 shots for the shutout.
Call-up Noah Derouin played a vital role in Saturday’s semifinal win, scoring two goals to lead the offence. Bowal had a goal and an assist, while Morin stopped 39 shots to punch Medicine Hat’s ticket to the final.
U16 AA boys
The Medicine Hat U16 AA Hounds went 0-4 in the SCAHL’s South playoffs over the weekend.
The Hounds fell 4-3 to the Airdrie Havoc and 8-1 to the Okotoks Oilers on Thursday, 5-3 to Red Deer TBS on Friday and 4-0 to the Wheatland Raiders on Saturday.
Blake Dosenberger scored all three of Medicine Hat’s goals against Airdrie, while Merrick Kurpjuweit stopped 39 shots in goal.
Jack Henry scored the lone goal in Thursday’s loss to Okotoks, with Jerzy Walter logging 35 saves.
Henry, Treyson Girletz and Gavin Hagens scored for the Hat in Friday’s loss to Red Deer, while Kurpjuweit stopped 36.
Kurpjuweit went on to turn aside 25 shots in his team’s closing loss to Wheatland.
U15 AAA boys
South East Athletic Club’s U15 AAA Tigers were swept by the Okotoks Oilers in the second round of the Alberta Elite Hockey League post-season following a 4-0 loss on Friday.
SEAC opened the best-of-three series with a 5-2 loss on Wednesday.
Kayden Yeaman and Joey Clarke scored for SEAC Wednesday, while Kolter Gans stopped 33 shots in the loss.
Gans stepped back into the crease on Friday and stopped 29.
U13 AA boys
The U13 AA Hounds Black fell just short of reaching the SCAHL South final with a 5-3 loss to the Golden Suns on Saturday.
George Maser, Vann Boiteau and Ilya Khazov all scored in the loss, while MacInnis Harvey-Zenk stopped 19 in the loss.
The Hounds Black opened the tournament with a 4-3 win over the Hounds Orange on Thursday, an 8-1 win over the Foothills Bisons and a 6-5 loss to the Wheatland Braves on Friday.
Rhyder Arnold led the Hounds Black in their opening victory with a goal and an assist, bolstered by individual tallies from Maser, Boiteau and Logan Neuls. Harvey-Zenk stopped 28 in the win.
On the other side of the puck, the Hounds Orange were led by a goal and an assist from Liam Green, and individuals from Lucas Fisher and Ethan Grad. Caleb Matheson stopped 26 in the loss.
Khazov scored an assisted on three in Friday’s win over Wheatland, while Everett Ward had two goals and an assist. Maser and Carter Gilchrist each had a goal an two assists, Neuls and Trevin Ibach had one of each, Arnold assisted on two and Boiteau rounded out the scoring. Marshall Turner stopped 12 pucks in the win.
Arnold had two goals in Friday’s loss to the Braves, while Ward, Khazov and Nixon Davis rounded out the scoring. Madden Wright, Kane Bishop and Boiteau all had two assists in the loss, while Turner stopped 33 in goal.
The Hounds Orange finished their weekend at 0-3, following up Thursday’s loss to the Hounds Black with an 8-1 loss to the Braves and a 6-3 loss to the Bisons on Friday.
Liam Green scored the lone Orange goal against the Braves, while Brayden Tschritter stopped 13 in goal.
Chad Droesky and Ethan Grad both had a goal and an assist against Foothills, while Evander Leupold added an individual tally and Matheson turned away 30 shots.
