Goal in the nick of time holds up shutout performance
It took 52 minutes of hard-nosed hockey, but the Medicine Hat Hounds finally broke through Thursday night at The Arena.
Hounds forward Devon Schneider was credited with the lone goal of the game after putting a puck on net and watching it carom off a Lethbridge Hurricanes defenceman and into the net, lifting the Hounds to a 1-0 victory in the opening contest of their South Central Alberta Hockey League’s midget AA South Conference championship.
“You always get those greasy goals right when you need one. Certainly it was good that it happened in our favour,” said Hounds head coach Randy Wong. “Hopefully through the weekend we just get better. That’s kind of the purpose and focus of our guys. Every game, every period just get better as we go and try to get to Sunday and lay it all on the line.”
It was goaltender’s duel from the getgo, with Medicine Hat’s Martyn Clift and Lethbridge’s Aaron Dekok compiling a lengthy highlight reel across two and a half scoreless periods. But Clift left with the last laugh after turning aside 30 pucks for the tournament-opening shutout.
“It’s still a win, but it’s not how we’d like to win games. I hope we can put some more goals in the net next game,” said Clift, adding kudos to his defence. “I thought things were coming in pretty clear. The defence was pushing guys away and getting rid of the garbage in front of the net. It was actually a pretty good game. We stayed in it throughout.”
Wong added the Hounds were definitely in need of Clift’s hot hand given the standout performance from Dekok, and they got it in spades.
“I thought Marty was outstanding in net for us,” said Wong. “He looked focused right from the start so it was good that he was on his A-game tonight because we needed him.”
Dekok finished the night with 39 saves to his credit, but the Canes were unable to give him any offensive support and will face an uphill climb as the tournament presses through the weekend.
“He never gives up on a puck. Even on the goal he was trying to get it. He played his heart out and it was unfortunate we couldn’t get one to help him out,” Hurricanes head coach Robin Harper said of his goaltender, adding the night seemed destined to end on a bad bounce. “It was a great hockey game. It was just unfortunate that they kind of got a lucky bounce. They bounced one in on us and that was the difference.”
The Hounds — who took on a new home at The Arena for the tournament — continue the campaign this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against the Foothills Bisons before closing out group play Saturday against the Okotoks Oilers at 10 a.m.
In other tournament action, the topseeded Wheatland Chiefs took a 5-1 victory over Foothills and the Taber Golden Suns defeated Okotoks 5-2.
The top four teams at the end of group play will square off in respective semifinals with a ticket to Sunday’s 4:45 p.m. conference championship game on the line.