Lethbridge U18 and U16 Hurricanes play in Alberta Elite Hockey League Showcase
By Lethbridge Herald on December 8, 2021.
The Lethbridge U18 Hurricanes and U16 Headwater Hurricanes were in Edmonton last weekend for the inaugural Alberta Elite Hockey League Showcase.
The five-day showcase featured 55 games in four days, 25 in the U18 AAA division and 30 in U16 AAA. All games counted as regular season games.
The Showcase also falls on the final weekend before the 2021 Western Hockey League Draft.
Playing three games each, the U18 Hurricanes went 1-2 at the showcase, while the Headwater Hurricanes posted a 2-1 record.
The U18 Hurricanes started the weekend with a 2-1 win over the Lloydminster Inland Steel Bobcats Friday, but lost 2-1 to the Grande Prairie Grande Peace Ernie’s Sports Storm Saturday and 5-3 to the Fort Saskatchewan Straightline Dodge Rangers Sunday.
The Canes are now 11-6-3 and tied for second in the South Division with the Calgary Buffaloes (12-7-1).
The Headwater Hurricanes kicked off the weekend with a 6-3 win over the Lloydminster R’ohan Bobcats, but came up short in a 5-1 loss to the Sherwood Park Squires Saturday.
On Sunday, the Canes ended on a winning note thanks to a 6-5 win over the Grande Prairie Grande Peace (GPAC) Storm.
The two wins improve the Hurricanes to 6-8-0, good for seventh place in the South Division.
In the U18 Hurricanes opening game Friday, Carter Klippenstein scored in the first period for Lethbridge and Ty Fraser netted the eventual game winner in the second as the Canes edged Lloydminster.
Goaltender Erick Roest turned in a 28-save performance.
But on Saturday, the Hurricanes found themselves on the other side of a 2-1 decision as they dropped a close one to Grande Prairie.
The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and it stayed that way until the Storm scored with 2:28 to go to ice the win.
Peyton Twigg was Lethbridge’s goal scorer, while Beck Boiteau stopped 17 of 19 shots.
The Hurricanes wrapped up the weekend with a 5-3 loss to Fort Saskatchewan.
Lethbridge led 1-0 after the first period, but three goals by the Rangers in the second handed them a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes they didn’t give up the rest of the way.
Nathan Verloop, Twigg and Grady Martin scored for the Canes.
Roest turned aside 25 of 29 shots in the loss.
The U16 ranks, the Headwater Hurricanes started the weekend with a 6-3 doubling of the Bobcats as Lethbridge scored three times in the first and third periods.
Deegan Kinniburgh scored twice in the third for Lethbridge and Oakley Hill, Carter Cunningham, Carter Dersch and Aidyn Law added singles.
Cunningham and Law added one assist for two points each and Adrien Fox added two helpers.
Hurricanes’ goaltender Harrison DeJong made 28 saves in the win.
Lethbridge fell to 1-1 on the weekend with a 5-1 loss to Sherwood Park.
After a scoreless first period, the Squires scored three straight in the second en route to the win.
Law was the lone marksman for the Canes and Kahil Wright stopped 39 of 44 shots.
But the Hurricanes hit the road with a 2-1 record after a 6-5, come-from-behind win over Grande Prairie on Sunday.
Law, Cunningham and Rhyle Weaselhead scored in the final 7:42 as Lethbridge rallied from a 5-3 deficit to post the win.
Cunningham also scored in the second period and Dayton Tailfeathers and Oakley Hill added the other Hurricanes goals.
Cunningham added an assist for three points and Law had two helpers for a three-point game.
Hill added an assist for two points and Nathan Hawkins contributed two assists in the win.
DeJong stopped 21 of 26 shots to earn the win.
The U18 Canes host the Calgary Buffaloes at Nicholas Sheran Arena Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and are back on the road Sunday as they travel to Airdrie to take on the CFR Bisons at 4:30 p.m.
The Hurricanes return home to the Logan Boulet Arena this weekend as they host the
Fort Saskatchewan TC Infrastructure Rangers at 3 p.m. Saturday and the Calgary Bulls (CBHA) at 11:45 a.m. Sunday.
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