Calgary team pulls AAA shocker
Northstar midgets upset Red Deer
Keeners know that the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs are the reigning national kingpins.
Even casual fans glancing at the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League standings can see what’s what. The Chiefs sit in first place. They have permitted only 25 goals in 18 dates. They have lost only twice, total.
“Red Deer is strong — defending Telus Cup champs,” said Calgary Northstars skipper Keith Fagnan. “They’re the class — not just of the AMHL — but of Canada. They are that good.”
But in a stunning twist, the Chiefs — in the face of opportunistic goal-scoring (Cole Keebler with two, Tyler Godberson with two, Eric Krienke, Austin Wagner) and standout netminding (Derek Mazil) — went from peerless to powerless Sunday afternoon.
Max Bell’s scoreboard, no misprint, indicated that the Northstars dumped the Chiefs 6-4. Really.
The Calgarians, hardly looking like the second-worst squad in the Chrysler Division, improve to 6-13-2 and sent a message to the rest of the AMHL outposts.
“Hopefully, they’re getting scared having to face us because we’re on a roll right now — it feels like we can’t be stopped,” said Northstars defender Zach Dietrich. “A real confidence-booster for the boys. You could feel the excitement in the room. We were ready for this one.
“It’s fun playing them because you know they’re going to have their best every day.”
The Chiefs arrived in Calgary with a clamp-down reputation. If they get a lead, they can ride the trap to glory. It hardly needs to be said that they give up very little.
Their 1A and 1B goalies, Matt Zentner and Jayden Sittler, boasted matching goalsagainst averages of 1.37.
Till Sunday. Both lads allowed three tallies.
Keebler, on a feed from Devin Nemes, scored at :18 of the opening period. On his next shift, he connected again.
And away went the greenclad hosts, who led the rest of the way — almost. Ryker Leer, at 2:06 of the third period, did bang in the 4-4 goal for Red Deer. But only 45 seconds — and Mail’s brilliant pad save on Jack Goranson — later, Godberson restored the advantage.
“We’ve been rolling lately, so it really doesn’t come as a surprise,” said Keebler. “We’re going to keep on pushing for the rest of the year.”
A reasonable assumption might be a result like this can turn a season around. But, as the Northstars point out, the ship has already been righted.
Burdened by a nine-game losing streak, the Northstars wrenched themselves out of the early-season doldrums, winning five of the next six, including the last four in a row. Stretching that spree to five, however, will be no picnic.
Duly humbled and presumably champing at the bit, the Chiefs await the Northstars’ visit Friday.
“I think we took it a little bit for granted, came in thinking we were all that,” said Red Deer captain Quinn Brown, one of three returning players from the national-championship group. “I think we were a little high on ourselves.”
We’ve been rolling lately so it really doesn’t come as a surprise. COLE KEEBLER