DIDSBURY -- The Mountain View Colts took Game 1 in the first-round playoff series against the Ponoka Stampeders by a 5-1 score at the Didsbury Memorial Complex on Feb. 13.
Colts coach Rob Turville credited the Ponoka goalie, Keenan Starkell, with keeping the Stamps close for most of the game.
"Their goalie played really well for them," said Turville. "He made some incredible saves. In saying that, I think we could've bore down and capitalized on our scoring opportunities a little bit better. But you have to give their goalie credit, he stopped a lot of shots."
The Colts outshot the Stampeders 54-19 in the game.
Turville said it's hard to fault his players when they shoot on net over 50 times in a game.
"That's a positive but we need to capitalize a little better," he said. "We need to bear down in those scoring zones and make sure we get the puck in the net."
Mitchell Visser scored the opening goal at 12:43 of the first period assisted by Travis Gerrard and Josh Gette.
The Colts went up 3-0 midway through the second stanza on goals from Caden Switzer, assisted by Reed Engman and Kale Wright, and from Wyatt Gelinas, assisted by Matthew Myatt and Marshal Quartly.
Jordan Jacobi put the Stamps on the board with a goal at 14:46 of the second.
Mountain View put the game away with two late empty net goals, one from Switzer with his second of the game, and one from Sam Kolke assisted by Corbin Houchin.
Ethan Woodward picked up the win in net for the Colts stopping 18 of 19 shots.
Game 2 in the best-of-three series was scheduled for Ponoka on Saturday, and in Didsbury if necessary on Sunday.
(Since the Gazette went to press on Friday, see updates on the weekend game or games on our website and Facebook page).
The winner of the Mountain View-Ponoka series advances to play second seeded Red Deer in the second round of the Heritage League playoffs.
