It wasn’t the most ideal of weekends for the Airdrie-Cochrane (AC) Avalanche as they continued a three-game slump with a 3-1 loss in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League (AMMHL).
Avs (9-7-3, sixth in Southern Division) went into their Dec. 13 home game against Red Deer Northstar Chiefs (5-11-2, 12th in Southern Division) looking to pick up two points after their previous two games had ended in a draw and loss.
Chiefs took the lead through Caileb Berge in the first period, and then doubled their advantage in the second period through Tristen Hatto. Avs had numerous chances throughout the second but were unable to convert as Chiefs goalie Brayden Laturnus was on fire, stopping anything that crossed his path.
Scott Shugg (Keenan McElroy and Joel Shoemaker assisting) grabbed one back for the home side, before Chiefs added an open netter through Kody Wold with less than 15 seconds left in the game, as Avs chased an equalizer to no avail.
“It was a tough one,” said Avalanche head coach Kenton Levesque. “We only lost 3-1 thanks to the empty netter, but overall it was a good game. We had a ton of chances and just couldn’t get one by their goalie who we knew was going to be good.”
How has the team’s current slump affected the team’s morale going in the holiday break?
“We feel like we’ve been a little snake-bitten for a while now,” Levesque said. “It certainly showed this game, but for the most part I was happy with the way we performed and the way our boys reacted to some of the things that happened over the course of the game. There are a lot of positives that can be taken from this defeat.”
Right from the get-go, the game was a very physical one, with no one backing down as you could cut the tense atmosphere with a knife. Was their some sort of animosity between the two teams?
“That was weird, because we hadn’t played them before,” Levesque said. “I’m sure that spirit will carry over to the next game. We’re a team that doesn’t take anything from anyone else. The boys stuck up for themselves and each other which is something I am very proud of.”
Levesque feels that his team needs to have, “more of a presence” in front of goal, as they let Chiefs goalie get too comfortable early on.
“Their goalie was very good, and he did make some stops that he had no business making,” he said. “That’s how it goes sometimes, but we need to do a much better job of getting out there and making it uncomfortable for goalies.”
Avs now play Red Deer Strata Energy Chiefs on Dec. 20. The game marks the last one of the calendar year for the team before the holiday break. Levesque believes that his team need two points now more than ever so they can have a clean slate going into the New Year.
“It’s probably one of the most important games to date for us,” he said. “We want a win before Christmas to get us back on track, and then we can take two weeks off and start again on Jan. 2.
“Every game from now on gets so important. We know that and accept it. We just need to get through Christmas and continue to make a run for the playoffs.”
