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Lacombe’s midget CA Selects win thriller over Bow Valley

Selects looking to beat out Olds, Sylvan Lake for south division title
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The CA Selects celebrated a victory over the Bow Valley Timberwolves on Saturday. Todd Colin Vaughan/Lacombe Express

The Central Alberta Selects midget ‘AA’ hockey team was able to overcome an early 2-0 Bow Valley Timberwolves lead to win a thrilling 4-3 victory on home ice over the weekend.

“It was closer than it should have been,” Coach Jason Petrie said. “We played them in October and handled them in their barn pretty easy.

“We were down a couple forwards tonight and that hurt us a bit off the start.”

After giving up two first period goals to Timberwolves’ Riley Hopper and Jaguar Hope, the Selects gave themselves a lifeline near the end of the period when Kayden Gatz scored with 1:38 remaining.

That goal would be the first of three unanswered for the Selects, with Gatz scoring again early in the second followed by a goal by Luc Periens.

“We were slow out of the gates and we took a couple really key penalties near the end but we found a way,” Petrie said.

“Our powerplay got going in the second period and when we skate north to south, we are pretty fast. When we skate like that, teams have a hard time managing us and they have to take penalties.”

The Timberwolves would have an answer to Selects’ push when Ty Parker tied the game at three 15 seconds in the third period but the Selects were able to put the game away on a goal by Brady Caruth half-way through the final frame.

“In the third period we got off to a super slow start but we bounced back and found a way,” he said. “After they tied it again we got back to our gameplan and took it to them.”

After scoring the Selects did take an after-the-whistle retaliation 9:00 minute penalty but they were able to kill the penalty to go to win 4-3.

“We did a really good job killing at the end which was big for us,” Petrie said.

“We have had our goalies get run over quite a bit this year. Tempers flare and it is what it is. That won’t be happening again.”

Petrie said his team is taking the steps they need to win the SCAHL later this year.

“We are big and we are fast. I love that,” he said. “When we are all moving and we get pucks deep — we are very tough to play.”

To win the south division, the Selects will have to take out both Sylvan Lake and Olds.

“It will be those three battling it out to win the south and whoever wins that gets to go to provincials,” Petrie said. “We are solidly in second place right now and we are where we want to be.”

Petrie hopes that Lacombe residents can get out to the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex to take in some games this season.

“Friday night games are a lot of fun,” he said. “We have about 200 high school kids usually and a couple sections in the north side of the rink get pretty rocking. It is fun to watch and the kids are playing pretty well.”

He added, “I am happy with our kids and where we are at. We are going to keep taking steps to get better.”



todd.vaughan@lacombeexpress.com

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