Peewee Suns dominate Oilers

A shorthanded Okotoks Oilers (22-6-1) team was ripe for the taking as the Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns (10-17-3) hockey team certainly obliged in a 6-1 win over the Okotoks Oilers on the weekend.

“We took advantage of the situation where their team was missing five of their best players at the Alberta Winter Games who were playing for their zone in the bronze-medal game,” said Jason Beckett, head coach of the Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns. “Everyone played really well and put a lot of pressure on them to stay with us. We checked them tight where we built off of our last game against Lethbridge, where we played really solid, we just didn’t score the goals needed for a better outcome. We played high-pressure hockey, crashing the net and scored some goals right around the net.”

Tristan Miller and Mason Sande both had two goals apiece in the win and Kalem Haney and Seth McCulloch each had singles. Haney and Blake Kondor both had two assists apiece with Spencer Dorge, Kolby James, Josh Conley and DJ Tonin getting single helpers. Brayden Peters earned the win in net facing 23 shots.

With one more weekend of regular season South Central Alberta Hockey League play left before playoffs, Beckett is happy to see his team playing some of its best hockey coming down the home stretch.

“Both goaltenders have played really well. Carl (Tetachuck) went up to the Winter Games and played really well there and Brayden Peters had a good two games two weekends ago and another good game this past weekend. If you have good goaltending, that helps you peak,” said Beckett. “Our defence is playing with a lot of confidence as opposed to sticking to old habits of just throwing it out. We are getting our forwards the puck a higher percentage of the time and they are doing something with it after that. We’re working harder and playing a lot more tight, physical games.”

Taber peewee “AA” Golden Suns hit the road on Saturday to play the Sylvan Lake Lakers and then have a road game on Sunday against Medicine Hat Venom on Sunday to conclude its regular SCAHL season.

BANTAM: Taber bantam “AA” Golden Suns split its pair of SCAHL games starting off with a 4-2 doubling of Badlands Longhorns (4-25-3) on the road on Saturday.

Logan Wiebe, Clay Leismeister, Brock Palmer and Reed Odland all scored for the Suns. Odland, Brant Mack, Darian Simmons and Kolten Heins all had assists. Blaise Unruh earned the win in net facing 23 shots.

The team continued its road trip on Sunday with a 12-3 loss to Okotoks Oilers (22-3-5).

Palmer tallied twice and Ace Wenbourne once in the loss. Linden Gouw, Odland, Leismeister, Wiebe, Heins and Wenbourne all recorded assists. Unruh faced 48 shots on net.

The team has concluded its regular season and awaits the playoff draw in a couple of weekends.

MIDGET: Taber midget “AA” Golden Suns (8-19-4) edged Lethbridge Hurricanes (19-10-2) 4-3 on the road on Friday.

Matthew Nadeau, Steven Swartz, Cody Turner and Jared Broderson scored for the midget Golden Suns. Cole Nakamura, Nickolas Badura, Dylan Heppler and Ryan Tessemaker drew assists. Dillan Kelly faced 43 shots on net to preserve the win.

The team returned home and dropped a 4-1 decision to Okotoks Oilers on Saturday at the Taber Arena.

Broderson scored the lone Suns tally with assists from Swartz and Turner. Dylan Swanson faced 36 shots on net.

Taber midget “AA” Golden Suns host NWCAA Stamps on Friday at the Taber Arena. The team then travels on Sunday to play CBHA Blackhawks in Calgary.