From the end springs new beginnings.
So when the Bow Valley Timberwolves were nudged from the South Central Alberta Hockey League (SCAHL) midget AA playoffs by the Sylvan Lake Lakers, they were already preparing for the provincial championship tournament later this month.
The Lakers edged the T-wolves from the SCAHL playoff landscape with a numbing 4-3 overtime victory March 1 at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, winning the second-round series 2-0. Levi Barker, Matthew Kaczur and Slater Ransom scored for Bow Valley in the five-period marathon.
Dejected Timberwolves, playing for cancer-stricken head coach Mike Bigland, were visibly upset following their ouster. Goalie Ryan Ternes took the loss out on his stick, belting it over the net until it snapped.
But it’s not over. By virtue of gritty provincial playdown wins over Strathmore and Airdrie, the Timberwolves are Hockey Alberta’s Major Midget AA Zone 6 rep at the provincial tournament March 20-23 in Wainwright.
So there is plenty of hockey left for Bow Valley’s “Coach Mike; no one fights alone” campaign.
“I think the boys deserve a couple days, a week, to really let this sink in,” said Timberwolves interim co-coach Kashtin Gordon outside the dressing room following the March 1 game. “We just kept reminding the guys we still have the provincials and haven’t seen a team all year we can’t beat. Going forward, there’s no reason we can’t do damage in provincials.”
The break gives the Timberwolves time to heal. Forward Teighan Keller, who broke his ankle Feb. 28 at Sylvan Lake, won’t be available for provincials. Ben Willms, Jeremiah Ellis, Brad Bergshoeff and goalie Bennett Eichinger, who’ve all missed substantial time with ailments ranging from broken bones to concussions, should be back on line by March 19.
“Provincials was a bonus,” said Gordon. “The kids battled hard. They really wanted this one (SCAHL title), so it’s going to hurt for a while.”
“There’s always a lesson to take from every loss,” said Timberwolves co-coach Kris Keller. “These kids don’t have anything to be ashamed of. Everybody wants to win a championship.”
With a Hockey Alberta provincial title shot on the horizon, the Bow Valley midget AA Timberwolves still have it all to play for.
