There was good news and bad news for the St. Albert Crude last weekend at Akinsdale Arena in a two-game home stand against the Manitoba Blizzard.
The Crude battled to a 12-10 victory Friday but came up short Saturday afternoon in a 20-9 blowout in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s Junior B Tier 1 division.
“One of the most complete games we’ve played all year was last night, and today was one of the least complete games we’ve played in a long time,” coach Terry Dokken said after Saturday’s game.
He attributed the Friday-night victory in no small part to doing all the little things right – solid defence, fast feet and good passing.
In addition, Dokken said a last-minute trade has really paid off for the Crude with newcomer Chris Letendre.
“It was his first night in a Crude uniform, and he played well,” he said. “He got five points last night and scored a hat trick today, so our trade is working.”
For Saturday’s game, a short bench due to some major and minor injuries, as well as having one player on vacation plagued the Crude.
“When the guys are on the floor a lot they get tired, and once you’re tired you just start making bad decisions,” he said. “That really hurt us.”
Dokken said in the end, though, it’s just one game. He expects the Crude to be back firing on all cylinders for the last couple of games before playoff action starts mid-month.
The weekend’s win and loss bring the Crude’s record to 6-9, putting them in fourth place in their division. After playing the two games against the Crude, the Blizzard notched two wins against the Sherwood Park Titans, dropping the Titans to a distant fifth and guaranteeing the Crude a playoff spot.
Dokken said he wasn’t certain of how the playoff schedule would look, but said he’s confident his team can start with a blank slate and stay competitive in the post-season.
“That was our goal at the beginning of the year, to make the playoffs,” he said. “Once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.”
He said with the guaranteed playoff spot, the team would be able to rest up a bit for the last two regular-season games, keeping some of the big guns in reserve until the post season starts.
“We just need to get healthy. That’s the whole thing,” Dokken said. “We have little injuries and we just need some time for them to heal.”
The last two games of the regular season will take place this weekend. The Crude host the Titans at Akinsdale Arena at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, then head to Bill Hunter Arena in Edmonton to face the Warriors Sunday at 5 p.m.
