Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
It was a good news, bad news scenario for Prince Albert developmental hockey teams on the weekend.
First the good news!
The U13AA Family Pizza Foxes capped off a dream season by winning the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League championship with a 5-2 triumph over the Regina Rebels White and the Venice House Pirates are one win away from doing the same in the Saskatchewan Male Hockey League’s U15AA division following a 5-3 decision in Balgonie against the Engelheim Prairie Storm.
Now for the bad news!
The U18AA Family Pizza Foxes’ quest for a provincial title came to an end when they fell 2-1 in overtime to the Regina Rebels ending a playoff run that seemed unlikely when the post-season began, but gained momentum with each series victory.
The U13AA Foxes, who lost just twice in the regular season and swept through three rounds of playoff action, got goals from five different players in their title-clinching victory in Regina on Saturday. Emma Dunn, Emmerson Palchinski, Taylor Briones, Harlee Boyer and Grace Wingert tallied for the Foxes, who had opened the best-of-three series with a convincing 7-1 victory on home ice on Thursday. Payton Braaten, as was the case all playoffs, was solid in the Prince Albert net.
“The girls came out determined to win,” says Foxes’ head coach Cory Trann. “We had everyone on board and we had depth on our team that others didn’t have.”
“This team has the highest hockey IQ’s I’ve ever seen – they are very easy to coach,” added Trann. “I’m very proud of the kids; they deserve everything.”
Likewise, the Venice House Pirates are on the cusp of sweeping through their playoff season following the opening victory over the Prairie Storm on Sunday.
Jordan Labelle led the way for the Pirates with three goals while singles were added by Carter Krahn and Kaden Kohle. Liam Bergen picked up the win in the Prince Albert net with Landen Andrusiak the lone Storm player to beat him scoring once in the first and two more in the second period.
The Pirates, who had just four losses during their regular season before sweeping past the Saskatoon Outlaws, Saskatoon Generals and Warman Wildcats enroute to the championship final, will look to put the finishing touches on their championship run when they host the Prairie Storm on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. at the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre.
For the U18AA Family Pizza Foxes their magical ride came to an unceremonious halt when Harlow Strueby netted the game winner for Regina with just 12 seconds left in the first overtime session on Saturday.
The Foxes, who finished the regular season in fourth place in the North Division one game below the .500 mark, got the early lead on a goal by Maci Baillargeon, but Eden Johnson brought the game on even terms with eight minutes left in the third frame setting the stage for Strueby’s heroics.
Brianna Brataschuk did all she could, and more, in the Prince Albert net turning aside 46 of 48 shots while the Foxes could manage just 20 shots at the Regina goal.
The Foxes, who also dropped the opening game 2-1 in Prince Albert on Thursday, needed all three games in their first three rounds of the post-season, but they couldn’t do the trick one more time. Regardless, it was a captivating run.
