The Lacombe Generals are Vanberg Cup Champions after taking down the Red Deer Rustlers 3-2 in Game 5 of the finals.
The win marks the first North Central Senior AA Hockey League championship win for the Generals.
Generals manager Jared Williams said the experience was rewarding for the team to pull it off on home ice.
“We’ll get our name on that for the first time as league champions,” he said.
“I’m from Lacombe and being able to raise that cup on the ice with the fans and family was a special moment.”
After losing the opening game of the series to the Rustlers 6-3, the Generals won four straight games to become champions. Williams explained the Rustlers were a challenging opponent.
“They’ve got some skilled forwards and defencemen. Some big guys that are strong and do the right thing with the puck,” he said.
“It was a good matchup. We knew they’d be tough and again that’s why it was satisfying to take them down because they were a very good opponent. Hats off to them.”
Lacombe was the top team in the NCHL for most of the year only losing two games in the regular season. Williams said there was never any doubt they would win the Vanberg Cup.
“At the end of the day this is where we expect ourselves to be and to give ourselves a chance to close the series out whether it’s the first, second, or third round,” Williams said.
“You never know how it’s going to go. There’s some good teams in this league and the competition is definitely tough. Once you get to playoffs it’s anyone’s game so if you don’t show up you’re going to get beat.”
On Saturday the Generals sealed the deal in Game 5 with a 3-2 victory.
Cam Maclise, Thomas Beretta, and Jamie Johnson all scored for the Generals. Meanwhile, Lane Sim and Ryley Smith got on the board for Red Deer.
Goaltender Mackenzie Engel stood on his head in a 43-save effort.
The playoff most valuable player award was given to Johnson after he finished with seven points in five games in the finals.
“He was massive,” Williams said.
“During the season he was always one of those guys who was a workhorse… We’ve got a lot of amazing players but for a guy to stand out that much it wasn’t like he was trying to standout he was just playing hockey.”
Next season Williams said it appears a lot of the team will return for another run at the Vanberg Cup and hope to continue to build the team.
In Senior AAA hockey, the Innisfail Eagles won the provincial title after they swept the Stony Plain Eagles 3-0.
The title came to fruition on March 18 after they beat Stony Plain 8-3 on home ice and was a massive victory on the team’s 75th anniversary.
The Eagles will not compete in the 2023 Allan Cup tournament from April 17-22 in Dundas, Ontario.