U18 AEHL Canes in race for first place

By Lethbridge Herald on December 1, 2021.

In a race for first place in the U18 Alberta Elite Hockey League South Division, the Lethbridge Hurricanes have put themselves snugly in the mix.
The Canes picked up three points in a weekend homestand thanks to a 5-1 win over the St. Albert Nektar Raiders and a 2-2 tie with the Airdrie CFR Bisons at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
With the win and the tie, the Canes improve to 10-4-3 and into second place in the South, two points up on the 8-4-5 Bisons and one point back of the Calgary (NW) Flames (10-4-4).
In Sunday’s tie with the Bisons, Airdrie opened up a 2-0 lead 11:26 into the first before Lethbridge’s Austin Derzaph pulled the Canes within one before the first period was over.
John VandenElzen scored his fifth of the season 6:48 into the third to force overtime as the teams settled for the tie.
Kade Duell had a pair of assists for the Hurricanes, while Beck Boiteau stopped 23 of 25 shots to earn the tie.
On Saturday against St. Albert, a three-goal third powered the Canes to the win as assistant captain Peyton Twigg scored twice and Carter Klippenstein, Braigh LeGrandeur and Grady Martin added singles.
Klippenstein and LeGrandeur added one assist for a two-point afternoon and Nathan Verloop and Ryan Henderson added two helpers each.
Erick Roest stopped 21 shots to earn the win.
The weekend wraps up a six-game homestand as the Canes hit the road to Lloydminster Friday to take on the Inland Steel Bobcats. Lethbridge heads to Grande Prairie to face the Ernie’s Sports Storm on Saturday.
The Lethbridge U16 Headwater Hurricanes earned shutout win in their only game of the weekend, blanking the Medicine Hat South East (SEAC) Tigers 5-0 Sunday at the Logan Boulet Arena to improve to 4-7-0, good for sixth place in the South Division.
Kahil Wright stopped 21 shots to earn the win and the shutout.
Carter Cunningham paced the Canes with two goals and an assist and Connor Chapman also had a two-goal outing. Aidyn Law added one goal for Lethbridge and had an assist for two points.
Kasey Russell Jr., Deegan Kinniburgh and Adrien Fox each had two assists for the Canes.
The Hurricanes kick December off Friday in Lloydminster against the R’ohan Bobcats and are in Sherwood Park Sunday to face the Squires.
The Lethbridge U15 Val Matteotti Golden Hawks were 0-2 in Calgary last weekend.
The Golden Hawks were defeated 5-2 by the Calgary Royals Saturday and 5-3 by the Calgary Bisons (CBHA) Sunday.
The losses put the Golden Hawks at 2-13-0.
On Sunday against the Bisons, the Golden Hawks trailed 3-0 after two periods, but netted three goals in the final 9:16 to make it close, including cutting Calgary’s lead to 3-2 with 4:27 to go.
Jager Gugyelka, Briggs Olson and Dominic Grieco scored for the Golden Hawks.
Grieco added two assists for three points, Gugyelka had an assist for a two-point outing and Kayson Christian added two assists.
Seth Bird-Goodstriker turned aside 30 of 35 shots.
On Saturday, Christian scored twice for Lethbridge to give the Golden Hawks a 2-1 lead after two periods, but the Royals rallied with four goals in the third period to grab the win.
Kobe Urasaki and Grieco each had two assists, while Bird-Goodstriker made 27 saves.
The Golden Hawks are home for a pair against the Red Deer Rebels this weekend.
The games go Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at noon, both at Nicholas Sheran.