Peewee Suns meeting expectations

Times photo by Trevor Busch

By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com

Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns (6-5-1) return to South Central Alberta Hockey League play this weekend after a two-week layoff.

The squad hopes to continue its forward momentum from a solid tournament late last month in Lethbridge.

Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns finished first in pool play with three wins before having a tough crossover game with St. Albert.

“The other pool was tighter than our pool. They had a nice hockey team,” said Cam Cleland, head coach of the Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns who would eventually lose the game in double overtime 6-5 after skating 4-on-4 and 3-on-3 in overtime. “And they went on to win the championship easily 9-2.”

The peewee Golden Suns had raced out to a 4-1 lead in the first period before St. Albert eventually pulled even 5-5 to put the game into overtime.

“Typically guys try and send their better skaters on the 3-on-3. I think we had better scoring chances on the 4-on-4 and the 3-on-3. I’d say we doubled the chances,” said Cleland. “The puck just wouldn’t bounce for us that morning. But it was a good growing game for sure.”

This past weekend saw a half dozen Golden Suns players try out for the zone Winter Games team as the entire peewee SCAHL division had the weekend off.

Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns hit the road on Saturday with a game against Okotoks Oilers Black. Sunday’s tilt sees the peewee “AA” Golden Suns return home to the Taber Arena to battle the Airdrie Lightning at 1 p.m.

“Things are going good. The expectations I gave this team at the beginning of the year, we definitely have met that goal at this point in the year, and probably exceeded it a little bit,” said Cleland. “The team seems to be getting a little bit better in general each week and each month. We are going in the right direction. We’ve played the first-place team in each (south-north) division close and we lost a real tight one against the top north division team where they scored the winner with .2 seconds left on a bad bounce. We are capable of playing on the top end and the middle is very, very tight. There is basically not a night you can take a game off. The whole league is tight where anyone can beat anyone on any given day.”

BANTAM: Taber bantam “AA” Golden Suns (12-5-1) split its pair of South Central Alberta Hockey League games over the weekend, starting off with a 5-3 loss to Cranbrook Hornets (9-5-2) at the Taber Arena on Friday night.

Kolby James tallied twice for the Suns who got a single from Kole Fujita. James Halverson had two assists and Brandon Hauck, Seth McCulloch, Ryden Remple and Blake Kondor had single assists. Brayden Peters took the loss in net, facing 31 shots.

The team was able to bounce back with a 6-3 doubling of Central Selects (9-2-3) at home on Saturday.

Halverson tallied twice and Fujita, Hauck, Fujita and D.J. Tonin had singles. Grady Honess had two assists with Halverson, Tristan Miller, McCulloch, D.J. Tonin, Kondor, Derrien Tonin and Sydney Hughson all had single helpers. Peters earned the win in net, facing 36 shots.

Taber bantam “AA” Golden Suns do not return to SCAHL action until Dec. 12, with a game against Bow Valley Timberwolves at 4:30 p.m. at the Vauxhall Recreation Centre. The team then hits the road on Dec. 13 against Wheatland Warriors.

MIDGET: Taber midget “AA” Golden Suns were blanked 3-0 by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in SCAHL play at the Taber Arena on Sunday. Broc Merkl took the loss in net, facing 31 shots on net.

Taber midget “AA” Golden Suns are at home this weekend with a Friday night game against Okotoks Oilers Green at 8:30 p.m. at the Taber Arena. The Golden Suns then battle CBHA Rangers on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Taber Arena.