Alberta’s first entry into the Minto Cup in three seasons will have a distinct Foothills flavour.
Okotoks’ Ryan McLean, DeWinton’s Tom Fream and the Calgary Mountaineers punched their ticket to the national championship after dispatching the defending champion Okotoks Raiders in five games to claim the Alberta Junior A title on Sunday.
“After we dropped that one last year we promised we weren’t going to let that happen again,” said Fream, a second-year Mountie defender. “We knew they were going to battle back, that they weren’t going to give up easy.
“We just had to make sure we closed them out.”
Owning a commanding 3-1 series lead in the best-of-seven set, both teams brought a shorthanded lineup to Sunday’s clincher at the Stu Peppard Arena.
Following a mini-line brawl in Game 4, Calgary was short two key defenders in McLean, captain Jake Archdekin and netminder Brandon Humphrey while the Raiders were without goaltender Brendan Wilhelm and defenders Brett Craig and Robert Raittila after the six were suspended for one game.
Okotoks came out with more urgency in the opening frame yet somehow found itself on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline despite a two-goal period from sharpshooter Tristan Rai.
Calgary broke the contest wide-open in the middle stanza, finding the net eight times to take an 11-6 advantage into the second intermission-
The Raiders’ got a ray of light when record breaking goal scorer Brett McIntyre tallied midway through the frame only to be countered on the next shift by a Jordan Prysko marker.
“We wanted to keep them from getting on a roll because once they get on a streak it can really get away from you,” Fream added.
Tyson Sundholm and Jake Foster would add late insurance markers to round out the 14-7 triumph in front of a boisterous and capacity crowd at the Peppardome.
McLean could only watch as his teammates sealed the deal.
“I was pretty rattled not to play,” McLean said. “It sucked to watch. A quick down 2-0, but the boys started rolling.”
The Mounties won three straight to close out the series including a pair at the Raiders’ home floor, the Max Bell Arena, in feisty games 3 and 4.
Calgary’s championship is its third in five years as the two southern rivals have alternated championships each year since 2011.
Calgary makes its return to the Minto for the first time since the 2012 tournament. The team acquitted itself nicely more recently at the Western Championships where they won one of four against the B.C. powerhouse Coquitlam Adanacs two summers ago.
“We didn’t quite get to that Minto so I’m really excited for this opportunity,” McLean added. “Our team is gelling and really coming together, starting to play our game.”
McLean clinched his second championship with the Mounties while Fream is savouring his first sips from the trophy knowing full well what the banner means going forward.
“It’s definitely huge,” Fream said. “I’ve wanted to play in a Minto for as long as I can remember.
“I can’t wait.”
The Minto Cup runs Aug. 20-29 at the Langley Events Centre. For more information go to lacrosse.ca
