Local squad played against Eckville in North Central Minor Hockey Association final
The Sundre midget tier 3 Huskies finished second in their league last week.
They played against Eckville in the final best-of-three series in the North Central Minor Hockey Association.
The first game was played Tuesday, March 15 on the road.
"We played an excellent game," said coach Brad Price, adding the Huskies were only down by one goal going into the third period with a score of 2-1 for Eckville.
However, the home squad let off the pressure and Eckville was able to increase its lead by several more goals to win the game 7-1, he said.
The second game, played Friday, March 18 on home ice, was hard fought but Eckville again emerged victorious, winning with a final score of 6-3, which brought an end to the best-of-three series. The Huskies held their ground in the first and third periods, but weren’t able to maintain that momentum during the second period, giving Eckville the opportunity to take the lead, he said.
"Eckville’s a team that you can’t let up on — if you do, you’re done," the coach said.
"Considering what we were up against, the boys played excellent."
The Huskies’ bench was also struggling through sickness with the flu that’s been going around, the coach said.
Having remained undefeated throughout the season, Eckville was a tough team to play against and probably should have been in a higher tier. Regardless, the much closer score in the second game reflected how that match was played and the effort the Huskies put in, he said.
"The boys can’t hang their heads. It was a great year."
Placing second in league play is nothing to sneer at, and the Huskies also won their zone championship to compete in provincials recently. Earlier this season, the squad also won a tournament held in Fort Macleod. Overall, the Huskies won a lot of games and the squad maintained its morale throughout the season, the coach said.
"We had a great time this year. This was a really good year of hockey. It was a really fun year to coach."
Price expressed his appreciation for all the parents who helped make it another successful hockey season, and he also praised the fan support, which he called the best in the league.
