Bantam AAA Storm Start Playoffs
The Grande Peace Athletic Club Global Bus Lines Bantam AAA Storm wrapped up their Alberta Bantam Hockey League regular season on Sunday and jump right into the playoffs on Tuesday.
The Matt Chomyc-coached Storm take on the Leduc Oil Kings in a best-of-three Charger Division semi-final.
First game is in Leduc before the teams return for the lone Storm home game on the series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Crosslink Country Sportsplex. Game 3, if needed, goes back in Leduc on Friday.
The Storm finished in fourth place in the Charger Division with 32 points on 15 wins, 19 losses and two ties. Leduc finished first at 17-11-8-42 while the PAC Saints were second at 18-14-4 and the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers third at 14-15-7-35. PAC and Fort Sask battle in the other best-of-three division semifinal.
Hayden Smith led the Storm in points with 49 over the 36-game regular season. He finished ninth overall in league scoring with 49 points on 24 goals and 25 assists. Teammate Jayden Watson was 14th overall at 22-23-45 while Dayne Tews was 20th with 42 points on 11 goals and 31 assists.
Top Leduc scored was Blake Roche, who was 21st in the league, with 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points.
The Storm will be up against the goalie who finished 13th overall with a 2.61 goals against average. Graden Lynes had eight wins, five losses and two ties this regular season.
The Storm are backstopped by Terri Lappenbush (12-11-1 and 3.83) and Erick Schultz (4-7-1 and 4.60).
