Bisons bounced from playoffs in tough Game 7

By Bruce Campbell
sports Editor

The bounces just didn’t go the Okotoks Junior B Bisons’ way for their do-or-die game in Cochrane last week.
The Okotoks Bisons were beaten 2-1 by the Cochrane Generals in Game 7 of the Heritage Junior Hockey League southern Conference final in Cochrane March 18.
The Generals’ first goal came off the draw that went off either a Bisons’ or Generals’ stick as both players, tangled up in front of the net, swung at the puck.
The puck then went off of the butt of Okotoks goalie Christian Chivilo’s stick to give the Generals a 1-0 lead in the first period.
The Generals’ winning goal, three minutes into the third period, came off a scramble when Cochrane’s Preston Hunter picked up a loose puck, moved to his left and fired a wrist shot from about 10 feet in front of the net.
“He (Chivilo) was outstanding the whole series,” Cochrane General coach Dana Boothby said. “Our aim this game was to get more pucks on the net — he can’t stop everything. The first goal was a bobble and the second one was a chip in on a scramble. There wasn’t much he could do.”
Boothby said he wasn’t surprised that a series between two evenly matched teams would come down to the wire. The Generals had built up a three games to one lead in the series, however, the Bisons had battled back to tie the series at 3-3.
“We didn’t change a thing in Game 7,” Boothby said. “They beat us to the puck (in games 4 and 5) and tonight, the battles were closer. There really wasn’t any room out there — it was a tight, close game.”
Bisons coach Mike Hannigan said he was “incredibly happy” with his team’s effort.
“I think we got everything we could get out of our players,” Hannigan said. “I
don’t think they have anything left.”
The Bisons went into the game more beat up than Rocky.
Hannigan said they had eight players who were banged up, but toughed it out because it was Game 7.
Bisons assistant captain Lance Risseeuw said what the team has achieved in the playoffs will take some of the sting out of losing a close game.
“A lot of people wrote us off when we had to play Airdrie,” Risseeuw said.
“Right now, I am disappointed — a couple of bounces the other way and we would have beat Cochrane — but I am proud of what we accomplished.”
The Generals got the first goal in Game 7 at 12:12 of the first period.
Okotoks was able to tie the game before the end of the first period when Brady Hoetmer scored his eighth goal of the playoffs on a powerplay effort, assisted by Risseeuw and Manny Yellowfly.
The second period was scoreless. The lone goal in the third was the Generals’ game-winner from Hunter.
Chivilo stopped 40 of the 42 shots he faced.
“I was happy with the way I played,” Chivilo said. “They got a couple of goals on bad bounces but that happens in playoff hockey.”
Chivilo said he plans to be back between the pipes next year for the Bisons.
Bisons captain Kylan Falk said the team should learn from losing a Game 7.
“This was the first time a lot of our guys had played a Game 7 and some of them were antsy — they haven’t the experience of dealing with this kind of pressure. But we gave it everything we got and only missed by one goal.”
He said he plans to be back next year, adding the Bisons have the chemistry and the work ethic to have another strong season in 2008-09.
The Bisons will lose goaltender Jason Michelsen next year due to age restrictions.
The Generals will now play the Stettler Lightning in best-of-seven games series for the league championship.
The winner advances to provincials, which are being hosted by the Three Hills Thrashers.