LACOMBE – It was a close battle.
After falling 4-1 to the Lacombe Generals in Game 1 of the senior AAA provincial championships Saturday night (March 30) in Innisfail, the local Birds tied the Generals in Lacombe on Sunday.
Lacombe scored an empty net goal in the dying seconds to tie the game 3-3. The tie gave the Generals the senior AAA provincial title and banner in the two-game total point series. Innisfail settled for silver.
Nonetheless, Eagles head coach Brian Sutter was pleased with his team’s effort in Game 2.
"The outcome (tonight) was good. They scored in an empty net," said Sutter. “We played a heck of a game today and that's how we got to play the whole time.
"Last night we had two or three breakdowns and it cost us the game,” he added. “We knew we could play better and we did. The second game in two nights and we were darn good."
Innisfail took a 1-0 lead Sunday with a power-play goal from Chad Robinson late in the first period. The Generals tied the game early in the second frame with a power-play marker of their own.
Lacombe then took a 2-1 lead in the third period before Innisfail answered with two goals, one each from Kurt Bensmiller and Taylor Mulder, before Lacombe scored into an empty net in the dying seconds to tie the game.
The Generals took the 2018-19 senior AAA provincial banner based on the total points earned with their seven goals to Innisfail’s four goals in the two-game series.
"We just never quit tonight," said Bensmiller. "We stuck with the game plan and showed guys that we're going to be tough here come this next week.
"I think with the outcome today, it showed that we improved a lot from last night (Saturday) and the finals in the league playoffs where we never came close to beating them,” he added.
"I think we did the right things tonight."
Eagles forward Taylor Mulder said the team worked hard for their win on Sunday.
"We worked hard in the dirty areas and we worked better as a team today I thought too," said Mulder.
Like Bensmiller, Mulder said the team is ready and excited for the national championship series April 8 to 13 in Lacombe.
"We know what we got to do and how to do it, so it's just a matter of getting out there and putting it all together," said Mulder.
Sutter echoed his players' thoughts.
"This is what we talked about all year and it shows in a game like tonight," said Sutter. "We had a lot of warriors tonight.”
Innisfail will hold a practice in Red Deer this week before playing the Rosetown Red Wings in Game 1 of the 2019 Allan Cup on April 8. Puck drop is 4 p.m.
