Suns compete for wins over the past weekend

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Taber Times

By Cole Parkinson
For Taber Times

All three Taber Golden Suns teams were in action this past weekend as they looked to improve their records in the South Central Alberta Hockey League standings.

U13

Three games were on tap this past weekend for the U13 team as they looked to add some more wins to their total.

First up was a game against the Olds Grizzlys on Friday afternoon. The Suns were blanked at the hands of the Grizzlys, with the final being 9-0. Drew Tame got the start in net for Taber and made 33 saves on 42 shots.

Saturday offered another chance for the U13 Suns as they took to the ice to take on the Central Alberta Selects. The Selects would take a 1-0 lead in the first, but Jaxton Rodeback would tie the game up early in the second as Travis Jackson and Marcus Schwartz drew the assists. The Selects would retake the lead a few minutes later and neither team would find the back of the net before the end of the period. The final frame was all Selects as they potted three straight and took the game 5-1. Tame was back in the cage and made 26 saves on 31 shots.

Looking for a win to end the weekend on a high note, Sunday’s action saw the Suns take on Red Deer Wesco. Unfortunately for the Suns, the game saw Red Deer find the back of the net early and often en route to a 13-1 victory. Rodeback had the lone Taber goal with Jude Klingenberg notching the assist. Cale Campbell was the starting netminder for Taber in the final game of the weekend and the goalie made 56 saves on 69 shots.

This coming weekend sees the U13s hit the ice for a single road game on Sunday when they line up against the Foothills Bisons at 3:30 p.m.

U15

With three games on the schedule for the U15 Suns this past weekend, the team was hoping to turn their season around. It all started on Friday afternoon when they took on the Olds Grizzlys. Olds would collect the first goal of the game shorthanded, but Taber would answer back a few minutes later on the power play as Heston Hansen hit the back of the net. Nixen Miller and Brooke Dyck found the scoresheet with an assist each. The Grizzlys would retake the lead late in the period and carry a 2-1 lead into the middle frame.

Taber would come out of the room hot as they scored in the first minute off of Canaan Fleck’s stick as Hansen and Madix Miller drew the assists. Olds would retake the lead a few minutes later and that would be all the scoring in the second.

With under five to go in the third, and down by one goal, Taber would tie the game thanks to a Dyck marker as Bril Haraga collected an assist. Neither team was able to find a game-winner and the game would end tied at three. Dakota Hurst was in net for Taber as the netminder made 27 saves on 30 shots.

The Suns would return to the ice the following evening to take on the Red Deer Steel Kings. Thanks to huge second and third periods, the Steel Kings would hand Taber their first loss of the weekend as they took the game 10-0. Griffin Stenger was between the pipes for the Suns as the goalie made 53 saves on 63 shots.

The last game of the weekend came on Sunday afternoon as the U15s took on the Central Alberta Selects. Each team would score one goal in the first as they headed towards the second tied. Hansen had the lone Taber goal with Nixen Miller drawing the assist.

Taber would draw first blood in the second period as Fleck had another for Taber with Miller collecting his second assist of the game. The Selects though would score two goals to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.

The Selects would add a pair late, including an empty netter, and took the game 5-2. Hurst was back in net for Taber, making 39 saves on 44 shots. The Suns look to rebound this coming weekend with a single road game as they take on the Medicine Hat SEAC Tigers on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

U18

The U18 Suns also looked to add a few wins this past weekend as they had three games. Saturday saw them take on the West Central Tigers in the morning and the Red Deer Elks in the afternoon.

In the first game, the Suns saw the Tigers take a 3-0 lead in the second period after neither team scored in the first. The Suns would score on an early powerplay in the first period as Connor Chapman hit the back of the net — Chase Stronge and Landon Howg had the assists. The Tigers would add two more before Evan Koizumi scored once again on the powerplay and Stronge and Hunter Simpson drew the assists. West Central would add two more late in the period and take the game 7-2. Keegan Stenger was the starting goalie for Taber, making 38 saves on 45 shots.

The second game of the day didn’t go any better for Taber as Red Deer ran away with an 8-2 win. Berkley Emelson and Hayden Smith had the Taber goals while Chapman chipped in with an assist, Kahil Wright got the start in the second game and made 46 saves on 54 shots.

The final game of the weekend saw the team matchup against the Olds Grizzlys. It wasn’t Taber’s day as the Grizzlys blanked the Golden Suns 5-0. Stenger was back between the pipes and made 35 saves on 39 shots.

A pair of games comes for the U18 Suns this weekend as they take on the Okotoks Oilers at home on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 8:15 p.m. They then hit the road to Calgary on Sunday to take on the CBHA Rangers to wrap up the weekend.