Playoffs continue for several Oil Kings teams

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

The end of the Central Alberta Hockey League season is rapidly approaching, but several Taber Oil Kings teams are hoping to end on a high note. With plenty of teams still in the hunt for a banner, it was a busy weekend for Taber CAHL teams as playoffs continued.

U13 Tier 3

The U13 Tier 3 Oil Kings saw their second-round matchup continue on Friday night as they took on Okotoks Green. After winning the first game 5-3, the Oil Kings were in control of the two-game total series. Despite falling to a 2-1 lead in the first period, Taber had a monstrous second where they scored six unanswered. While Okotoks scored a few in the third, Taber was able to secure a birth in the final with a 9-6 victory. Logan Rabusic led the way with four goals and an assist while Mitchell Kimoto added three assists, and Ryden Baker and Lincoln Braun hit the back of the net twice each. Baron Stang and Dane Beckie had two assists each, Luca Nielsen scored, and Cage Holcek and Jaxson Tychsen notched an assist each. Dylan Volk got the start in net and made 31 saves on 37 shots.

The next round began immediately as the Oil Kings took on the Coaldale Cobras for the U13 Tier 3 Blue Banner. The two-game total series began in Taber Saturday afternoon and the Oil Kings doubled up on the Cobras 4-2. Rabusic, Braun, and Samuel Hathaway all had a goal and an assist, Baker had two assists, Holcek scored once, and Hudson Ilczynski, Kimoto, and Luca Nielsen all collected an assist. Volk was back in net and collected the win with 22 saves on 24 shots.

With the banner in their sights, Taber headed to Coaldale on Sunday afternoon looking to clinch. Braun would open the scoring in the first with Baker drawing the assist to give Taber a 1-0 lead after the first. In the second, Coaldale would tie the game quickly before Holcek and Stang gave Taber a 3-1 lead. Nielsen, Kimoto, and Braun would draw an assist each on the goals. Coaldale would get within one late in the second to make it a 3-2 game heading into the final frame. In the third, it was a tight battle that saw neither team find the back of the net as Taber took the game 3-2 and the series 7-4. Volk was great in net again as the netminder made 22 saves on 24 shots to secure the banner.

U15

After beating Medicine Hat in round one, the Oil Kings U15s were up against Duchess in the semi-final of Tier 3 Yellow on Friday. Duchess was a tough matchup for Taber as they went 15-0-1 in the regular season but Taber looked to pull off the upset. In the first game of the series, Duchess came to Taber and took it 6-5 thanks to a four-goal third period. Taber saw Kellon Schalk scored twice and added an assist, Lincoln Wiebe had three assists, Ethan Volk scored two, Jenner Workman had a single goal, and Jaxson Badura had one assist. Brodyn Sutka was busy between the pipes as the netminder made 49 saves on 55 shots.

Needing to win by two to move forward, the Oil Kings hit the road on Saturday. Unfortunately for Taber, they were unable to slow down the Duchess offence as they fell 6-3. Kash Kover scored twice, Wiebe had a goal and an assist, and Schalk, Workman, and Volk all had one assist. Sutka was back in net and made 36 saves on 42 shots.

In the final of Tier 3 Yellow, Duchess takes on Irvine.

U18

The U18 squad had the weekend off thanks to a bye for finishing in first place on Tier 3W Silver. After beating High Country, Picture Butte moves on to the semi-final to take on Taber. Game times have not yet been set.