UFA Bisons come up short in Mac’s final
A few foothills hockey players came close to ringing in the New Year by winning one of the biggest hockey tournaments in Canada.
Members of the UFA Midget AAA Bisons are disappointed after coming so close to sipping champagne from the Mac’s Midget trophy on New Year’s Day.
UFA Bison, Levi Bews eyes up the puck during the Mac's AAA Midget Tournament final at the Saddledome Jan.1.
The underdog Bisons advanced to the tournament finale at the Saddledome Jan. 1 against the Vancouver Northwest Giants who were making their third straight appearance in the championship game. The third time was the charm for the Giants who won the Mac’s title for the first time with a 2-1 win over the Bisons.
Unfortunately, the Giants’ win was at the expense of the Bisons who last won the Mac’s in 1998.
Keaton Lubin of Okotoks, a defencemen with the Bisons, was pleased with the tournament itself just not the final result.
“I think we should have won, we played a little better, I thought we outplayed them but they came out on top I guess,” said Lubin. “For sure, I thought we definitely should have won.”
Vancouver defenceman Griffin Reinhart scored on a harmless looking shot at the 12:57 mark of the third period breaking a 1-1 deadlock.
Even though time remained on the clock, that goal spelled the end of the Bisons’ tournament.
“We tried to rally again but we couldn’t get a goal by their goaltender. He played really well,” said Lubin of Giants’ netminder Charlie Finn.
Steven Soto of Okotoks, another Bisons blueliner, said goaltending proved to be the difference in Friday’s final.
“Their goalie was just really hot,” said Soto. “We got a lot of quality shots on him he just kept saving it. It would have been nice to win but their goalie stood on his head. There has to be a loser, I guess and unfortunately that was us.”
Jason Swyripa and Longview native Levi Bews, who led the team in scoring during the tournament with four goals a piece, were held quiet against Vancouver. Bews was named the Bisons’ game star in the final.
Soto said the loss will have at least one positive lasting effect. The team won five out of seven games during a seven-day holiday tournament, which he hopes will bring the team closer and give them some confidence for the second half of the Alberta Midget Hockey League season.
“Before the tournament we were having a rough year, we had a slow start, we were slowing starting to build together,” said Soto. “I think that tournament really helped the team come together.”
The Bisons used the Saddledome’s away dressing room during the afternoon final, which was a special treat for the players. Lubin said adjusting to a NHL-sized ice surface was a little bizarre, however.
“It is especially weird to play at the Saddledome. I think a lot of the players were excited to get out there,” said Lubin.
Soto said he actually found the Saddledome’s ice surface to be smaller, especially across the middle.
Coming into the tournament Lubin and Soto expected the team to play well, maybe not all the way into the final, but having done so, the pair is happy with the message it sends to other Alberta Midget Hockey League teams.
“I don’t think anyone expected us to get that far so it was great to make that kind of statement,” said Lubin.
The Bisons swept their first three round-robin games beating Saskatoon, St. Albert and the North Island Silvertips before losing to the Red Deer Optimist Rebels.
With a 3-1 record the Bisons advanced to the quarter-finals against the Yorkton Harvest. The Bisons won 4-2 to advance to the semi-final against Red Deer. Bews had a goal and an assist in the victory.
In the semi-final Red Deer scored with 30 seconds remaining to force overtime, but Bison Kirby Ruzesky scored five minutes into the second overtime to secure the 5-4 win and clinch a berth for the Bisons in the Mac’s championship game.
Jason Swyripa was named the Mac’s tournament MVP while Keaton Lubin and goaltender George Merik were named to the Mac’s all-star teams.
The regular season play starts up quickly for the Bisons and ironically they have a return engagement with the Red Deer Optimist Rebels on Friday at 8 p.m. in Strathmore.
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