Icemen Start Playoffs

“Dylan McKay Breaking In On Hawk Goalie” Picture by Byron Weaver

After more than a week off due to a bye the Wetaskiwin Icemen hockey team finally got going again in CJHL Quarter Final action. The second place East Division Icemen squared off against the third place Fort Saskatchewan Hawks. The weekend finished with both teams taking a game in the best of five showdown.
    The first of two games played, started off on Friday night at the Wetaskiwin Civic Centre with the Icemen hosting the Hawks. The game resulted in a 6-4 loss for the Icemen to get the playoff ball rolling. It is tough to climb out of a hole when you are down 3-1 after the first which is where the Icemen found themselves. The lone Icemen goal scorer in the first was Mitchell Bowie.
    The Hawks struck first at the beginning of the second to make it 4-1. The Icemen replied with power play goals by Jordan Howe and Zach Littlechild making it a little closer to end the period at 4-3.
    Dylan Weaver injected some adrenaline to the Icemen and their fans with a goal at 11:39 of the third to tie it 4-4. After that the Hawks continued to roll much like they started the game scoring 2 goals to finish off the Icemen with a 6-4 win in game one. In the end the Icemen could not keep clawing back from a deficit and didn’t get their goalie Chris Sharkey the win.
    Sunday’s away game in Fort Saskatchewan was a little better for the Icemen as they came away with a 3-2 win. This game like Friday’s featured another come from behind situation for the Icemen. The Icemen were down 2-0 for almost a full two periods of the game. Late in the second period the Hawks ran into penalty trouble and the Icemen capitalized with 2 power play goals by Suede Omeasoo and Corey Bowie to even it up at 2-2 at the end of the second. In the third Icemen Suede Omeasoo scored his second of the game to make it a 3-2 win for the Icemen.
    These teams are now playing a game every second or third day which is a tough grind if you consider travel, work, school and any practice time. The Icemen can’t keep coming back from behind if they are going to win. This matchup is now down to a best of three.
    Next game for the Icemen is on wed. Feb. 27 8pm at home followed by game four in Ft. Sask. at 7:30 on Friday night. The 5th and final game of the series if it goes that far will be back home in Wetaskiwin at 2pm on Sunday Mar. 3rd.