The Steel (26-26-3) trailed the sixth-place Crusaders (26-24-6) by three points with a game in hand prior to Tuesday’s home tilt against the defending Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Spruce Grove Saints (47-6-4). The score was unavailable at press time.
The Steel close out league play with four games in five days. This weekend in Grande Prairie they play the fourth-place Storm (32-22-4) twice. On Monday they host the fifth-place Lloydminster Bobcats (30-23-4) at 2:30 p.m. The last game before the playoffs is Tuesday in Calgary against the Mustangs (24-31-1), ranked fifth in the south division.
If the playoffs were to start today, the Steel would start the best-of-five series in Fort McMurray against the second-place Oil Barons (40-16-1). Last year the Oil Barons swept the Steel in the opening playoff round.
Sunday’s loss in Sherwood Park was the Steel’s sixth in regulation time in 10 games. They managed only one shot during a scoreless first period. In the middle frame, penalties to Taylor Fraser (boarding) at 18:11 and Matt Abt (ineligible player) at 18:58 resulted in power play goals by the Crusaders with 38 seconds left in the period and with 52 seconds gone in the third to make it 3-0.
Jordan Kochan put the Steel on the scoreboard with 7:55 to play.
Despite a couple of five-on-three power plays in the third, the Steel were unable to beat netminder Pat Terriss (18 saves in the period and 25 overall) while finishing 0-for-6 with the man advantage. Steel goalie Rhys Hadfield (26-22-3, 3.66 GAA) faced 38 shots.
Hadfield was the first star in Friday’s 3-1 win over the south division-leading Okotoks Oilers (41-12-5) with 31 saves. Attendance was 380 at Performance.
Defenceman Thomas Ward-Cardinal tallied on the power play in the first and in the third sealed the deal into an empty net with three seconds remaining. Derek Bacon was credited with the game winner in the first. Steel rookie Tanner Labbe added two assists. The home team generated 25 shots on goal.
The St. Albert Raiders earned a first-round bye in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs by placing second in the north division.
The Raiders (20-10-4) finished five points behind the first-place Southside Athletic Club (23-8-3) in the pennant race.
Last weekend the Raiders lost 3-1 to the Northstars (16-12-6) in Calgary and beat the first place south-division Rebels (24-7-3) in Red Deer 7-4.
The Raiders posted a 4-4-1 record in the new year. Overall they were 10-3-2 at home and 10-7-2 on the road.
The host team for the 2011 Esso Cup national midget female championship had no trouble sweeping the Spruce Grove Saints in playoff action last weekend.
The St. Albert Slash dialled up convincing victories of 8-2 in St. Albert and 10-2 in Spruce Grove in the best-of-three north division semifinal in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.
Slash captain Melissa Kueber led all scorers with five goals and four assists in the series. In the first game, Karly Heffernan notched three goals and one assist and Deanna Morin had one goal and four assists. In game two, Kueber and Angie Mason recorded hat-tricks and Heffernan picked up three assists.
Emily Mitchell (22 saves in game one) and Chloe Sanderson (18 saves in game two) took turns in net. The Slash generated 59 shots in the first win and 60 shots in the series clincher.
In the north standings, the Slash (23-6-3) finished second and the Saints (8-23-1) placed third.
The Slash will now tangle with the first-place Edmonton Thunder (27-0-5) in the north final. The best-of-five affair is tentatively slated to start Feb. 28 in Edmonton. The Thunder are the reigning league champions and 2009 Esso Cup bronze medallists. They beat the Slash 5-2, 3-1 and 6-4 after a 2-2 tie in October.
The Esso Cup goes April 17 to 23 at Servus Credit Union Place. The tournament draw is comprised of five regional champions (Pacific, West, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) and the Slash.
A full event ticket package for general admission to all 19 games, including the semifinals and medal games, can be purchased online for $50 at www.hockeycanada.ca/essocup. Individually priced tickets will go on sale at a later date. Every game can also be viewed online through hockeycanada.fasthockey.com for $7 per game.
