Golden Suns return to ice for second half of season

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

The second half of the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) is underway and several Taber Golden Suns teams were back on the ice after the Christmas break.

U11

The U11s were one team who didn’t return to AEHL game action as they prepare for the upcoming weekend. On Saturday, the team heads out on the road to take on the Wheatland Kings at 2:15 p.m. Sunday is a home game at 10:30 a.m. as the Suns take on the Brooks Jr. Bandits.

U13

It was a return to the regular season for the U13s as they were on the road to open up 2025. Saturday saw the team take on the Foothills Bisons in a high-scoring affair. In a back-and-forth battle, the Suns fell 7-6 to open the second half. Eli Robband Callaghan Tjeerdema each notched two goals and an assist, Cooper Lutz had a goal and two assists, Travis Jackson had a goal and an assist, Wylie Campbell and Boston Constant collected a pair of assists, and Jackson Wiest and Declan Okell each had an assist. Nash Stober was in net for Taber and made 27 saves on 34 shots.

Sunday’s action was a home game for Taber in Brooks against the Medicine Hat Hounds. Thanks to a four-goal third period, the Hounds skated to a 7-4 victory. Blaze Wenzel had a goal and an assist for Taber while Robb, Jackson, and Jackson Wiest had the other goals. Constant and Lutz found the scoresheet with an assist each. Drew Tame got the start for Taber and made 40 saves on 47 shots.

January is a busy month for the U13s, as this coming weekend is another two-gamer. Saturday is a rematch against the Hounds in Taber at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, the Okotoks Oilers come to Vauxhall for a 3:30 p.m. puck drop.

U15

No games were on the schedule for the U15s and they are preparing for a two-game weekend. On Saturday, the team sees the Central Alberta Selects in town for a 2:45 p.m. game. Sunday’s action is on the road as the Suns take on the Airdrie Lightning at 4:15 p.m.

U18

The U18s returned to the ice this weekend for two games to start 2025. Friday night saw the team take on the Lethbridge Hounds at home. The Hounds would jump out to a 3-0 lead before Nixen Miller and Dalton Damen each scored to cut the lead to one. But that would be as close as it would get as the Hounds added three in the third to take it 6-2. Raiden Koizumi had a pair of assists while Grayson Beigel had a single. Dagrin Bahr-Hemsing made 19 saves on 25 shots in the Taber net.

The Suns returned to the ice on Sunday against the Medicine Hat Hounds and this one was all Hounds. The home team would outshoot Taber 57-17 en route to a 5-0 victory. Dakota Hurst was the starting netminder for Taber and he made 52 saves in the loss.

This coming weekend is a road trip for two games against the East Kootenay Avalanche. Saturday’s game is at 5:30 p.m. while Sunday’s is at 11 a.m.