CLOSE WIN OVER FLAMES
By GORDON ANDERSON
Daily Herald-Tribune
The Grande Peace Midget AAA Storm picked up a bruising 2-1 win over the visiting Calgary Flames in Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) action at the Coca-Cola Centre on Saturday afternoon.
Hudson Foley earned the winner when his speculative blast from long range found the mark through a maze of players and past Flames goalie Jared Whale for a power-play goal at 2:24 of the third period.
The home team took a late minor 200-feet from their own goal as Jayden Watson picked up a boarding call, blasting a Flames defender into the end boards with 58-seconds remaining in the game.
The visitors then pulled the goalie, setting up a six-on-four for the remainder of the game.
Storm keeper Cameron Beson was steadfast throughout but saved the best for last, making a solid stop with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, robbing a Flames forward with a glove save on a shot from close distance.
One headsy Flames forward managed to lose himself in the crush of bodies as the puck leaked out to him in front of the cage. The lanky goalie cut down the angle and flashed the glove on a shot destined for the corner. That timely save was one of 27 the keeper turned aside.
“They were on a six-on-four [advantage] and their guys must have got lost by our winger and he was all alone in the slot and I managed to make the save,” Beson said post-game.
On the ensuing draw, the Storm managed to work the puck into the corner until the final buzzer screamed. Beson released his pent-up emotion with a whoop and a two-arm pump, as his teammates rushed over for the post-game scrum near the top of the crease.
“That’s a pretty good team over there and they skate well and we did a pretty good job of counteracting that,” Storm Head Coach Chris Schmidt said of the visitors from Calgary. “We were disciplined in the way we played and didn’t give them a whole bunch [of offensive chances].”
Prior to the Christmas break, Beson and McCoy Bidewell were splitting cage time in a fairly equitable fashion but Bidewell injured his foot in a accident over the December hockey-holiday break, thrusting Beson into the starters role since the resumption of play on Jan. 5. The mustard and blue are 3-4-0 since then.
The 16-year-old is now the man for the foreseeable future, as Bidewell waits for the removal of the knee crutch.
“[Beson has] done well and it’s an opportunity for him to play every game,” Schmidt said. “He’s embraced [the opportunity] and is working hard in practice. He’s given us the chance to win and Saturday was no different. When you win, you typically need big stops against a good team.”
The Grande Prairie resident is enjoying the opportunity to be numero uno. Until Bidewell returns, if in fact he does, it’s logical the No. 31 in mustard and blue silks plays in every game.
The decision makes sense if the Storm plan to carry their remarkable season forward with a solid playoff run.
“I had to step up and be there for the boys,” Beson said. “It’s my role now. It feels good every weekend getting the call [in net]. You get a little confidence going [from it].”
The Storm opened the scoring at 14:52 of the second period when Watson jammed one home from a goal-mouth crush in the Flames end. The visitors tied the game 1-1 with 10 seconds left in the second period as Graham Boone’s shot beat Beson high to the corner on the blocker side.
ICE CHIPS
The GPAC Bantam AAA Golden Arrow Storm of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League had the weekend off. This weekend they host the Leduc Oil Kings in a pair of games at the Crosslink County Sportsplex in Clairmont - 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
The GPAC Boston Pizza U16 Storm of the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League are fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the North Division.
On Saturday they downed tied Edmonton SSAC 3-3 in the Capital City. Chase Jonzon, Landon Hedges and Tye Evans scored and Terris Lappenbush made 36 saves for GP in that game. No score was available for a game between BP and the St. Albert Flyers on Sunday.
Next action for the U16 club is Feb. 16-17 in Edmonton against United Cycle and MLAC.
The GPAC Peaceland Directional Drilling Storm fell 5-2 to the Leduc Roughnecks at home in their lone weekend game Sunday.
Rylen Kleist and Brett Friesen scored the goals and Lee Lappenbush made 40 saves for PDD, who host the Peace River Royals on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Coke Can in Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League play.
Both GPAC teams in the Edmonton Rural Bantam AA Hockey League played on the weekend.
Dreger Racing Team got two goals from Brody West, Spencer Rheaume and Trey Stephenson got the goals and Ethan Barron made 30 stops in a 4-1 win over the Fort McMurray Barons on Saturday.
On Sunday, in a 3-3 tie, Carter Kreller had two and Stephenson one and Barron made 37 stops.
DRT is third in the Black Division with 32 points.
They take on the other GPAC team, Hitch 'Em Oilfield Hauling, Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Clairmont.
Hitch 'Em Hit the road on the weekend.
They lost 3-1 to the Beaumont Braves on Saturday. Devon Barclay got the goal and Nathan Crawlay made a whooping 53 saves.
There was no score from a scheduled game between Hitch 'Em and the Strathcona Warriors on Sunday. They continue the road trip with a game in Lakeland against the Panthers Monday.
Hitch 'Em is fifth in the Black Division with seven points.
