BUFFALOES TOP ’EM ALL
Calgary midget goaltender sharp in net as team notches record-tying fourth title
Locals win Mac’s Cup
As the clock ticked down, Jared Whale lifted his arms in the air before being mobbed by his teammates.
Whale stopped 32 shots at the Scotiabank Saddledome on New Year’s Day as his Calgary Buffaloes beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2 to win the 42nd annual Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament title.
“It’s unreal,” said Whale, who was named the most valuable player of the playoff round. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world other than winning the actual championship for playoffs.
“It was incredible. It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing a hockey game. Winning was the icing on the cake.”
Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Whale made nine saves in the final period while teammate Justin Barker scored a short-handed marker with eight minutes left in the game to give the Buffaloes the insurance they needed.
“I was so excited, I don’t even really remember what happened — it was a huge goal and I was really happy to score it for the team,” said Barker, who stole the puck at his own blueline before skating the length of the ice to notch the clutch goal. “I went forehand, kind of stopped, deked the goalie and then I tucked in backhand.”
Stephen Rosier then scored an empty net goal with 3:20 remaining and another with 39.4 showing on the clock.
Blake Setter had a goal and an assist for the Buffaloes, while Oasiz Wiesblatt and Daniel Siso also scored.
“They played for each other and they never stopped competing all week and it was awesome as a coach to see the guys come together as a group,” said coach Brent Harrison, who was in the stands watching the last time the Buffaloes won the Mac’s Cup in 2008. “They wanted it so bad for each other and they accomplished it.”
The Buffaloes finished 3-1 in the preliminary round before downing the Saskatoon Contacts 3-2 and Cariboo Cougars 6-2 in playoff action on New Year’s Eve to advance to the final.
It’s the fourth Mac’s title for the Buffaloes (they also won in 1984 and 1986) to tie the Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres for the most tournament wins.
“That’s awesome,” Harrison said. “I’m glad that we’ve got the most of all the Calgary teams and tied for the most of anyone.”
Caelan Fitzpatrick scored once and set up another for the Warriors, while Kirk Mullen also found the back of the net.
“They’ve got a good hockey team over there,” said Warriors coach Trevor Weisgerber, whose team finished 3-0-1 in the round robin before beating the Chicago Mission 4-1 in quarter-final action and the Saskatoon Blazers 1-0 in the semifinal round on Tuesday. “We knew we had to play a good game. We had some bad breakdowns where they capitalized on their opportunities and we didn’t. We hit a few posts that could have changed the game. At the end of the day, they did capitalize on their opportunities so kudos to them.”
Dylan Ernst started in net for the Warriors, but was pulled at 13:58 of the second period after allowing three goals on 17 shots. Chase Coward then went on to make 10 saves in a relief appearance.
Wiesblatt gave the Buffaloes an early lead at 6:36 of the first period when he snapped a shot to the top corner, blocker side past Ernst.
Whale did his part to help the Buffs maintain their lead by turning aside all 10 shots he faced in the opening frame, including a quality chance by Moose Jaw forward Lucius Schmidt just before the buzzer sounded to end the period.
“I was just trying to make the saves for the boys,” Whale said.
Siso put the Buffs up 2-0 at 3:24 of the second when he took a pass from Setter and snapped a shot past Ernst.
Just 43 seconds after Fitzpatrick swatted a rebound past Whale to get the Warriors on the board at 13:15 of the second, Setter fired another wrist shot past Ernst to put the Calgary crew up 3-1.
That prompted Weisgerber to replace Ernst in goal with Coward, who promptly stood his ground to stop a partial breakaway attempt by Barker.
The Warriors came close to pulling within a goal late in the second when Atley Calvert fired a shot off the crossbar behind Whale.
The Moose Jaw squad then did just that 2:23 into the third on a goal by Mullen, who converted a feed from Fitzpatrick.
Instead of capitalizing on their second power play chance of the game, the Warriors surrendered the critical short-handed goal to Barker before Rosier’s empty-net goals sealed the victory for the Buffs.