After going neck-and-neck with the Okotoks Oilers for the first four games of their playoff series, the Grizzlys couldn't seal the deal and ended their season with a 5-1 loss on March 12 in Okotoks.
Although only down by one goal after the first period, the Grizzlys fell into the abyss in the second frame when the Oilers scored three unanswered goals.
Bart Moran was able to prevent a shutout with a goal in the third period, but by that point, Okotoks was up 5-1 and Oilers goalie Jared D'Amico wasn't going to surrender one inch to the Grizzlys for the rest of the game.
Grizzlys head coach Brett Hopfe said his squad's lacklustre performance in the first 20 minutes of the game basically guaranteed the loss.
"I thought we came out pretty flat in the first period there,î he said. "We felt that we got outplayed in that period and that was the difference of the game really when you look back at it.î
To lose in the first round of the AJHL playoffs stung quite a bit, he added.
"It's disappointing to lose in any round. Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen. We really believed we could have done something special this year so far as making a run. For whatever reason, things just didn't work out this year the way that we had hoped for.î
Hopfe summed up the season as "disappointing,î especially given the high expectations for the team.
He blames injuries in a rough stretch in December as a key factor in the challenges of the season's final stretch.
"The month of December really hurt us,î Hopfe said. "That was our 12-game losing streak. If we would have been just .500 hockey in that month, we would have probably been second place.î
But he said the team couldn't have gone as far as it had without the great fan support during the regular season and the short playoff run.
"It's been a long time since we've had an annoying barn to come in to.î
Hopfe said the squad is losing five of its most seasoned players as Dylan Hubbs, Bart Moran, Chris Stachiw, JC Heck and Brandon Clowes are all moving on.
Hopfe said he is looking forward, however, to working with some fresh faces on the team next season and lead scorer Matthew Marcinew is returning.
"We do have a strong team coming back.î
