An underdog story for the ages was about three minutes short of materializing.
An underdog story for the ages was about three minutes short of materializing.
The juggernaut Burnaby Winter Club held off a late surge from the host Rocky Mountain Raiders to eke out a thrilling 3-2 triumph in the gold medal game of the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championships Sunday in front of over 1000 fans at Pason Centennial Arena.
“For us a crowd like that, a Junior A crowd, we just fed off of it,” said Raiders head coach Mickey Kluner. “It was downhill momentum in a good way and we were that close to getting a 3-2 lead on the powerplay.
“A few things fell apart and that's how it goes.”
Burnaby, the powerhouse team at the tournament with an undefeated 4-0 record through round-robin, looked to be in control after two periods of the final with a 2-0 advantage on goals from Henry Rybinski and Massimo Rizzo and a considerable edge in play.
If not for stellar goaltending from Jackson Berry the game could have been out of reach.
Undaunted, the Raiders pushed the B.C. champions to the brink with a spirited final frame.
Hard-hitting forward Zachary Beaver kick-started the Rocky Mountain comeback bid with a rebound tally just four minutes into the third period.
“We were a bit down coming into the third, but there had to someone to pick up the team,” said Beaver, from Okotoks. “It was a deflection of one of their players right in front and I just whacked it in.”
The Raiders kept up the pace and would find themselves even at the midway mark of the third period when blueliner Ryan Conroy slapped one in from the point.
Rocky Mountain then had a golden opportunity to take the lead with a powerplay in the final three minutes only to have tournament leading scorer Rizzo break free for an unbelievable shorthanded breakaway goal with 2:35 on the clock.
The Raiders had yet another shot on the man-advantage in the final minute, but could not connect with the extra-attacker and the Bruins hung on for the narrowest of victories.
“Once that second goal went in we had all the momentum and they had nothing on us,” said Raiders forward Jaevon Buschlen, from Okotoks. “They're a better team, they're bigger, faster, but I'm very happy with the way we came back to tie it up.”
From elation to bitter defeat in the span of a couple minutes.
Such is the lot of elite athletic competition.
“I hope to never have this feeling ever again,” Buschlen said. “To maybe be a champion for once and push that extra bit to become that champion.”
Still, few would have forecasted the Raiders to final.
Rocky Mountain had the fifth best record during the regular season in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League and were out of the playoffs in the second round. Moreover, its four opponents at Westerns were all fresh off provincial championships.
“That was an experience of a lifetime,” said Beaver, one of six Global Sport Academy players on the roster. “I think everyone was surprised to (final) because we were the underdogs in this tournament.”
The support of the community played a major role in the team's ascension during the four day competition.
Not only were scouts out in full force, but hundreds of supporters of the Raider nation.
“It was unbelievable. To have that support from our town and from our fans, it just gets us going. That's what got us to the finals,” Buschlen said. “It was the energy in the dressing room that got us going in that first game.”
Rocky Mountain opened the tournament flying in a 5-1 triumph over the Yorkton Terriers.
Buschlen scored two goals in the victory with Okotokians Travis Thorhaug, Andrew Bonham and Chestermere's Majid Kaddoura all finding the back of the net.
The Raiders' second game on day one saw them fall 7-3 to the Winnipeg Monarchs.
Day two would see the Raiders turn their tournament fortunes on a dime.
The team earned some playoff revenge on the Alberta champion Lethbridge Golden Hawks in pulling out a nailbiting 3-2 victory to keep its gold medal hopes alive.
Hassan Akl netted the late winner with 2.3 seconds on the clock after sniper Kyle Crnkovic scored shorthanded and captain Peyton Krebs tallied at even-strength to even the contest.
“They told me to go to the front of the net and I did,” said Akl on the game-winner. “It went to my skate and I just had to kick it up to my stick.
“We just wanted to keep it going, make it to the finals and beat them.” Rocky Mountain wrapped up round-robin in what was a veritable exhibition game with Burnaby on Saturday with both teams having already earned their spot in the gold medal game. The Bruins won by a 4-3 count.
It's the second straight season the Raiders have earned the silver medal at Westerns after finishing second at the tournament in Winnipeg last spring in a much more decisive loss to the champion North Shore Winter Club.
“Our players, they're fighters. They have had ups and downs this year,” Kluner said. “It was just believing in every shift for 60 minutes and we did that.
“The Raiders association lost to B.C. last year in the finals at Westerns so it's tough to swallow two years in a row.”
The bronze medal game ended in similarly thrilling fashion. Golden Hawk Ridly Greig scored with 16 seconds left in the first overtime as Lethbridge edged Winnipeg 2-1 in the third-place tilt.
For more information on the tournament go to okotoksbantamchampionship2016.com
