The first round of the Alberta Elite Hockey League’s U15 AAA playoffs finished on the weekend, with eight teams booking their ticket into the semi-finals.
North Division
St. Albert Raiders Sabres def. Lloydminster Lancers, 2-0
St. Albert swept Lloydminster by scores of 7-1 and 7-2. In Game 1, Colten Poissant scored for Lloydminster, while Ossie McIntyre (3), Chase Huberdeau, Jaxon Pisani, Colt Carter and Chase Sabatino found the back of the net for St. Albert. Jack Teasdale scored twice in Game 2 for the Lancers, but McIntyre (2), Pisani, Carter, Luke Ruptash, Jack Osland and Graham Sedo sealed the win for St. Albert.
Sherwood Park United Cycle Flyers def. Parkland Saints, 2-0
Sherwood Park’s 2-1 win in Game 1 was followed by a 9-5 win in Game 2. Pryce Myshak scored for PAC, while Michael Warawa and Zak Stabbler scored for Sherwood Park in the Game 1 victory. Devin Pelletier and Knox Riopel both had hat tricks for the Flyers in Game 2, who also got goals from Stabbler and Ryder Schnitzler (2). Myshak, Miles Coates, Jace Frencheater, Cassius McDonald and Jake Watt scored for the Saints.
Knights of Columbus Squires def. Golden Arrow GP Storm, 2-1
The Squires needed the full three games, including a Game 1 6-5 overtime victory. The Storm evened the series, 5-2, before KC won 5-3 in the deciding game. Luc Rasko had a hattrick, including the overtime winner in Game 1 for the Squires. Silva Pereira, Joseph Tagliamonte and Kalton Mortson also scored for KC. Kade Peters, Kade Hughes, Kaleb Paul, Grayson Mueller and Dreycen Lauck replied for the Storm. In the Game 2 win, Hughes (2), Lauck and Grayson Conrad (2) found the back of the net for the Storm, while Rasko and Daxx Melenka had the goals for KC. In Game 3, Rasko (2), Pereira, Kyle Mowbray and James Jungblut scored for the Squires. Hughes, Conrad and Nate Jones scored for Grande Prairie.
KC meets St. Albert in the semi-finals.
Fort Saskatchewan Enhance It Rangers def. SSAC Southgate Lions, 2-0
The Rangers swept the Lions by scores of 6-4 and 3-1. Alex Letourneau and Ethan Collins each had a pair of goals in Game 1 for Fort Saskatchewan, with Mark Tarrant and Hunter Colombe also finding the back of the net. Samuel Bennett, Layne McLeod, Kaysen Virani and Lucas Folk scored for SSAC. In Game 2, Letourneau, Colombe and Carson Ralph scored in the series clinching win, with Evan Dowling the lone goal scorer for the Lions.
The Rangers face off against Sherwood Park in the semi-finals.
South Division
Calgary NW Flames def. Calgary Royals, 2-0
The Flames swept the Royals, 7-2 and 5-1. William Matte had a hat trick in Game 1, with Boris Sigachev, Jevyn Singh Gill, Cohen Pentney and Liam Kilfoil also scoring for the Flames. Jake Lonsdale and Ace Bonnett scored for the Royals. In Game 2, Lonsdale opened the scoring for the Royals, but Matte, Soren Goulder, Javier Salazar, Jun Perejma and Nadarii Moliakov contributed to the Flames victory.
Calgary Northstars def. Calgary Bisons, 2-0
The Northstars defeated the Bisons 3-1 and 6-5 in overtime to complete the sweep. Brook Haile, Jacob Pidde and Joshua Dennis scored for the Northstars in Game 1, with the lone Bison goal coming from Hudson Gauld. Matteo Sobb (2), Seth Garofalo, Oakley McAslan and Trace Stephen scored for the Bisons in Game 2, but Northstars saw goals from Ethan Couture (2), Aeden McCarry (2), Chase Isaak and Maxwell Gunsten, with Couture scoring the overtime winner.
Red Deer Rebels def. Okotoks Oilers, 2-0
Red Deer swept Okotoks 6-0 and 5-3. Grady Gardiner stopped 40 shots in the Game 1 shutout victory, and Crew Martinson had a five-goal game. Easton Nafziger added the other goal for the Rebels. In the Game 2 win, Martinson, Tayte Hoiland, Alex Mathieson, Cruz Nicolay and Noah Ulry scored for Red Deer, while Ashton McCann, Carter Radford and Gus Rustebakke replied for Okotoks.
Red Deer meets the Calgary Northstars in the semi-finals.
Airdrie Extreme def. Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks, 2-1
Every game was decided by one goal, but Airdrie came out on top in the series. Game 1 went to the Extreme, 4-3 in overtime. Game 2 saw Lethbridge pull away 6-5, with Airdrie winning the series 3-2 in Game 3. In Game 1’s win for Airdrie, Jensen Marsh, Charlie Sarich and Zane Rains scored in regulation, with Marcus Adamchuk scoring the overtime winner. Damen Vanderberg, Maxton Obuko and Colin Fancy scored for the Golden Hawks. The Game 2 victory for Lethbridge saw goals from Owen Demone (2), Dawson Spence (2), Cash Walker and Nolan Pilsner. Rains, Cecil Weum, Daniel Vaillant, Matthew Cameron-Skidmore and Kale McCann scored for Airdrie. In Game 3, Airdrie goals came from Marsh (2) and Myles Stevenson. Lincoln Eaves and Kutcher Aquila scored for Lethbridge.
Airdrie meets the Calgary Flames in the semi-finals.
The semi-finals begin tonight, March 12. Full schedule is available on the AEHL U15 AAA Website. Livestreaming is available through FloHockey.