SAIT Trojans face elimination after losing in overtime
It’s now win or go home for the SAIT Trojans men’s hockey team.
The Trojans clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit, but gave up a power-play goal in overtime as they fell 4-3 to the NAIT Ooks in Game 1 of the ACAC bestof-three championship final series Friday night at NAIT Arena.
“The boys showed a lot of guts and determination,” Trojans head coach Dan Olsen. “It was good to see the boys bounce back after being down, and we had a pretty confident group going into overtime. I feel bad for them that it had to end that way.”
Mikael Jung scored in the second period for the Trojans, while Brenden Forbes and Ryan Matthews had third-period markers to send the game to the extra frame.
“We were fired up after those goals, for sure,” Olsen said. “Anytime you can score two goals to tie the game up, it definitely lifts your bench.”
In overtime, SAIT took an illadvised too many players penalty, allowing Michael Piluso to score his second of the game with three minutes left in the 10-minute extra session.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night at 7 p.m. at SAIT Arena. The defending champs from SAIT need a win to extend the series to a Game 3, which is set for Sunday night back in Edmonton at 6:30 p.m.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I told the boys that we have to put this out of our heads,” Olsen said. “I thought we were the better team in the last half of that third period and in overtime, and we have to build off that.”
HITMEN PUT KOOTENAY ON ICE
The Calgary Hitmen got goals from Loch Morrison and Jordy Stallard and a great effort from goalie Brendan Burke to knock off the Kootenay Ice 2-1 Friday night in Cranbrook, B.C. Burke stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced as the Hitmen won a tight defensive battle. The Hitmen, who have home ice in the first round of the WHL playoffs, wrap up their regular season Sunday at the Scotiabank Saddledome against Kootenay (2 p.m.).