Golden Hawks start playoffs tonight

By Woodard, Dale on February 25, 2020.

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Val Matteotti bantam AAA Golden Hawks second season starts tonight.

The Golden Hawks wrapped up their regular season on a winning note, doubling the Calgary Bisons 4-2 Sunday afternoon at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The Golden Hawks lost 10-2 to the day before in Calgary to the Flames and finish the regular season 11-22-0 to take fourth place in the Ram South Division.

That will earn the Hawks a first-round date with the Ram South first-place Red Deer Rebels (28-2-3) in a best-of-three series that starts tonight in Red Deer before coming back to Nicholas Sheran Arena Thursday at 7:45 p.m.

If necessary, Game 3 goes Friday night in Red Deer.

On Saturday in Calgary, Layne Loomer and Ty Fraser were the Lethbridge goal scorers as the Flames had an eight-goal second period to post the lopsided win.

Golden Hawks goaltender Thomas MacLean made 44 saves in the loss, while Brenner Fyfe came in briefly in the second period, stopping seven of eight shots.

Lethbridge got three third-period goals from Aidyn Law, Chase Bambrick and Loomer for a comeback win over the Bisons after being down 2-1 after two periods.

John Szabo scored in the second period for the Golden Hawks.

Fyfe earned the win, making 33 saves.

With the race for second place in the South heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Lethbridge Headwater midget 15 Hurricanes grabbed four more points.

The Canes got it done at home and on the road, beating the Calgary NWCAA Stampeders 9-3 Saturday at the Logan Boulet Arena and then blanking the Calgary CBHA Rangers 3-0 Sunday in Calgary in Alberta Minor Midget Hockey League play.

The wins put the Hurricanes at 24-4-5, good for third place in the South Division and two points behind the 26-7-3 AC Avalanche.

The Hurricanes have two games in hand on the Avalanche and the teams will face each other Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Logan Boulet Arena.

Cole Wirun led the Hurricanes in Saturday’s home win with the hat trick and two assists, while Peyton Twigg and Vann Yuhas added two. Yuhas put up three helpers for a five-point afternoon and Twigg had two assists.

John Vanden Elzen and Sheldon Sawyer scored once each for Lethbridge.

Vanden Elzen had two assists and Sawyer had one.

Malachai North Peigan contributed with two assists, while goaltender Kaiden Fulton made 23 saves.

Saturday’s game was also the Hurricanes Hockey Fights Cancer day.

Fulton earned the shutout in Sunday’s win in Calgary. Caden Heins, Vanden Elzen and Wirun were the Lethbridge goal scorers.

The Hurricanes head back to Calgary Friday night to take on the CNHA Blazers before returning to the Logan Boulet Arena Saturday to face the Avalanche.

They complete their regular season Sunday when they host the Okotoks Oilers at 11:45 at the Logan Boulet Arena.

The Lethbridge Southern Express midget female went 2-0 last weekend to take over third place in the South Division and earn home ice advantage in the first round of playoffs.

The Express won a pair of games against the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs, winning 5-0 Saturday and 6-1 Sunday.

In Saturday’s shutout win, Devyn Amundson stopped all 27 shots she faced to earn the shutout, while Britney Kambeitz, Mackenzie Leroux, Kendal Pierson, Maddy King, and Payton Kruger provided the offence for the Southern Express.

Pierson led the way Sunday with a hat trick and Kennedy King added two. Jayel Dovichak added the other Lethbridge goal.

Hayley Whelen earned the win, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

The Southern Express complete league play this weekend. Playoffs start March 6.

The Lethbridge midget AA Hurricanes split a pair of games in South Central Alberta Hockey League play last weekend.

The Canes earned a 7-5 home win over the Bow Valley Timberwolves Saturday night at Henderson Arena, but were shutout 2-0 by the Strathmore Wheatland Chiefs Sunday in Strathmore.

The 1-1 weekend puts the Canes at 12-14-5 and in fourth place in the Southern Conference.

Luke Preddy led Lethbridge in Saturday’s win with two goals and one assist, while affiliated player Kyran Gromnisky scored twice.

Koden Lazar had one goal and one assist and Bill Houenagnon and Matthew Wytrykusz added singles.

Conner Furukawa had two assists.

Hurricanes goaltender Jesse Schindel stopped 30 of 35 shots.

The midget AA squad caps off their regular season on busy note with three games on the slate this weekend.

The Canes are at home to the Taber Golden Suns Friday night at 7 p.m. at Henderson Arena and head to Airdrie Saturday to face the Lightning.

They are at Nicholas Sheran Arena Sunday at 2:45 p.m. for their final game as they take on the Okotoks Oilers.

In the Alberta Midget Hockey League playoffs, the Lethbridge midget AAA Hurricanes completed a first-round, 3-0 sweep over the Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers with a 4-3 win Friday night at the Logan Boulet Arena.

The Hurricanes will now face the 19-8-5 Calgary Flames in the South Division semifinals.

In the other South Division quarter-final, the Calgary Northstars swept the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs in three games.

The Hurricanes best-of-five series against the Flames starts Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in Calgary.

Game 2 is at the Logan Boulet Arena Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Game 3 back in Calgary Monday at 7:30 p.m.

If necessary, Game 4 will be March 4 at 6:45 p.m. at the Logan Boulet Arena. Game 5 will be March 6 in Calgary at 7:30 p.m.

The Calgary Northstars and Calgary Buffaloes are in the other South Division semifinal starting Wednesday.

In the North Division quarter-finals, the Fort Saskatchewan Boston Pizza Rangers and the Sherwood Park Ennis Kings and the Lloydminster Inland Steel Bobcats and Edmonton CAC Gregg Distributors are each going to a fifth game.

Those games take place tonight in Fort Saskatchewan and Lloydminster.

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