GAME 2 SATURDAY AT 3 P.M.
What happened yesterday doesn’t matter … what’s important is what you can make happen tomorrow!
That will no doubt be the mantra of Grande Peace Athletic Club Ernie’s Sports Experts Storm coach Chris Schmidt after his team fell 4-3 in overtime to the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers on Thursday night in Fort Saskatchewan.
It was the opening game of a best-of-five Alberta Midget Hockey League semi-final. Game 2 goes Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Coca-Cola Centre in Grande Prairie.
The Storm, who finished just two points back of the second place Rangers in the AMHL’s Dodge Division, gave the Rangers all they could handle and, in fact, led the game 2-1 halfway through the second period.
Fort Sask had opened the scoring when Nate Ibraheem, the team’s top regular season point-getter, found the range just 1:46 into the first.
The Storm responded well after falling behind early.
Jayden Watson, on the powerplay, tied it at ones at 8:20 of the second and then Hudson Foley gave GP the 2-1 lead at 11:16.
David Dach evened it at 2-2 with just 1:01 to go in the middle frame.
Fort Saskatchewan again took the lead when Carson Cox scored 4:15 into the third, but a quick response by the Storm - a goal by Kail Magnusson just 25 seconds later - knotted it at 3-3 forcing the overtime.
With 7:28 remaining in the first extra period Bryce Bader got the game-winner gave the Rangers the 4-3 opener victory.
The Storm sat out five minors and the Rangers four.
Storm netminder Cam Beson made 29 saves while the Storm fired 24 shots at Fort Saskatchewan netminder Sebastian Cossa.
In the other AMHL Dodge Division semi-final the regular season champion St. Albert Raiders defeated Edmonton CAC 4-2 in that series opener. Both Chrysler Division best-of-five semi-finals started Thursday as well with the Calgary Royals nipping the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime and the Calgary Buffalos topping the Calgary Flames 6-1.
