The Sherwood Park Midget AAA Kings lost their touch that is scoring in set of shutout losses that cost them their very very first round playoff series from the Fort Saaskatchewan Rangers. Picture courtesy Target Photography
If the scoring evaporated, so did any potential for which makes it to March.
The Sherwood Park J. Ennis Midget AAA Kings completed in sixth spot within the Alberta Midget Hockey League’s North Division with an archive of 10-16-6, providing them with the playoff that is final and pitting them resistant to the top team not to ever earn a first-round playoff bye — the third-place Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, whom went 15-13-4.
The best-of-five divisional quarter-finals started out on script, aided by the Rangers earning a 4-1 game 1 triumph.
Nevertheless the Kings flipped that script within the next two games.
The Sherwood squad knotted within the series having a win that is 3-2 the next outing because of objectives by Payton Litke, Josh Parker and Jock Michael after which went up 2-1 into the quarters with a dramatic 5-4 double-overtime triumph in Game 3 — utilizing the glory goal coming from the stick of Evan Waldie.
Tyler Kutschinski scored a set of objectives when it comes to Kings in that competition, because of the other tallies recorded by Thomas Moore and Zac Maxwell.
Unfortuitously, there is no further goals can be found by upforit mobile the Park players from that point on.
The Rangers pulled straight right right back even yet in Game 4 having a slim 1-0 win and then delivered the Kings packaging within the do-or-die last match with another shutout final Tuesday evening, winning 2-0.
“We had our chances, ” said Kings mind advisor Fran Gow. “We had some looks that are good (but) their goaltender played well. They got some prompt objectives, including a goal that is short-handed really hurt. It had been appropriate close to the end regarding the power play plus they caught a bounce and had the ability to get yourself a breakaway that is short-handed buried it. ”
Scoring shortfalls aside, Gow said their group went down fighting.
“It had been a tough show. It absolutely was back-and-forth. By the end associated with the time, we simply couldn’t get the past two games, we arrived up short in scoring. The players competed difficult, but simply couldn’t place the puck into the internet. It absolutely was a series that is hard-fought the people played well. There have been stretches within the games that we managed the play, but we simply couldn’t discover a way to rating once we had a need to by the end. ”
“once you enter into playoffs you need to raise your level that is compete and dudes did that. I will be actually happy with the means that they elevated their game and directly to the conclusion the inventors worked difficult. ”
Gow felt the growing season had been a success from their metrics that are main that have been centered on player development.
“The big image from a development perspective and whether or not we felt the players got better and I believe they did, ” he said for us was looking at it. “We made some huge strides utilizing the players and their specific games. Searching right right back in the year, I happened to be really impressed with how the players developed and got better. ”
It absolutely was Gow’s first 12 months as mind mentor during the Midget AAA degree using the Kings following a storied job behind the bench into the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
The veteran coach has a lot more than 1,000 AJHL games as a coach on their application, leading the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Grande Prairie Storm together with Drayton Valley Thunder.
He’s got won three AJHL championships — two with Fort McMurray and another with Grande Prairie — and even led the Oil Barons to a nationwide championship name in 2000.
When it comes to final few years, Gow happens to be serving once the VP of Hockey Operations when it comes to AJHL, along with Coach Mentor for Hockey Alberta.