The Westlock Pee wee 1 Warriors took to the ice to fight for a provincial title at the Hockey Alberta Tier 2 Pee Wee Provincial Championships in Edmonton last weekend, but came up just short, dropping the gold medal game to Medicine Hat 3-2.
The Warriors experienced a wide range of emotions over the course of the March 28-31 tournament, losing badly in their first match, but turning it around to defeat everyone else who stepped on the ice with them, until the final.
“These boys are self-motivated you don’t have to say too much to them. They have the want to win and they came out strong and came out flying,” said assistant coach Colten Fedorvich.
A double-overtime battle with Vegreville in the semifinal set the stage for the gold medal match, but really took the pee wees’ legs out from under them.
“It was a long weekend with some extra overtimes and the boys were just played out by the end pretty much,” he said.
Jacob Demers scored the only goal of regulation in the semifinal before Gavyn Berube scored the double overtime winner.
The final was a back and forth affair with Isaac Edwards scoring the first goal of the game to take the lead which soon disappeared thanks to a goal from Medicine Hat.
Ty Meinczinger then scored shortly into the second, but Medicine Hat responded. Then halfway through the third, the Warriors’ opponents struck the final blow, taking the tilt 3-2.
For all their successes over the weekend, the Warriors started off their tournament falling to Wainwright 9-3 in their opening game.
Wainwright scored six goals in the first period before Berube put one behind the opposing goaltender with a minute left in the first, but it was already too late to stage a comeback.
Steve Andrusiak added another in the second and Cole Fedorvich scored in the third.
The Warriors turned it around in Game 2 though, outscoring the Bow Valley team 8-3.
Berube led the way with a hat trick, but contributions from Adam Drake, Coby St. Arnold, Andrusiak, Marcus Stoby and Isaac Edwards helped buoy the boys spirits as they headed into their final match of the round robin against the SW 602 Confed Generals, out of Edmonton.
The Warriors handled the Generals with ease, posting another win, 9-4.
Andrusiak, Berube and Jackson Rufiange each potted two goals in the victory, with others coming from Owen Carter, St. Arnaud, and Tate Cuthbertson.
It’s been an exceptional year for the club as in addition to this provincial silver the Warriors won the Northern Alberta Interlock League title in March.
“Overall, it’s been a good year,” said Fedorvich.
“When you start coaching you really don’t know how your team is going to do. You see some weaknesses and you see some strengths and by the end of the year they’re doing their drills seamlessly and you see how much they’ve really improved.
“I just want to thank all the kids for a heck of a year.”
