The St. Albert Source for Sports Crusaders resume the Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League final against the Strathcona Warriors this weekend after losing Thursday's series opener.
Game times are 7:30 p.m. tonight at SOC/Fultonvale and Sunday at Go Auto Arena.
If needed, game four is 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at SOC/Fultonvale and game five is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Go Auto Arena.
Two unanswered goals in the second period by affiliate players put Strathcona on top to stay at 4-2 in game one at Akinsdale Arena.
Both teams tallied twice in the opening 20 minutes and each squad capitalized once on the power play.
Kiegan Miller and Rhys Mazur produced one goal and one assist apiece for the Crusaders.
Shots were 36-31 for Strathcona as Parker Waseylenko (four GA on 24 shots) and Shane Zilka (12 saves) split net duties.
The Crusaders dressed four affiliates and Strathcona had three affiliates in its lineup.
The Crusaders were also missing defenceman Michael Iatridis due to a suspension over a match penalty at the end of the first period in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Wheatland Chiefs in the provincial final at Okotoks.
The Crusaders finished 2-2-1 at provincials and the team's first win at the five-team tournament was 2-1 against Strathcona.
The Crusaders also beat Strathcona by the same score in league play Dec. 10 in St. Albert.
The Crusaders (19-11-2, 116 GF/89 GA) and Strathcona (18-10-4, 117 GF/87 GA) finished second in their respective divisions and in the playoffs St. Albert is 6-3-1 and Strathcona is 6-2-1.
The bantam AAA St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres are represented by 10 players at the Alberta Cup on Team Northwest.
Netminder Ethan Barwick, defencemen Mike Benning, Ethan Edwards, Robert Kincaid and Tyson Kowaluk and forwards' Ethan Leyer, Ryley Morgan, Carter Savoie, Austin Spiridakis and Ethan Whillans were selected for the April 26 to 30 tournament at Canmore.
Ethan McKinley, a forward, and defenceman Langley Kruggel of St. Albert were also named to the Northwest roster.
Forward Raphael Pelletier and defenceman Daron Cyr of Sturgeon County made the Northeast lineup and the head coach is Lee Zalasky of the Sabres.
The Alberta Cup features 160 of the top bantam 2002-aged male players in the province and are divided into eight zone teams for the tournament.
Players were picked based on their performances at last month's zone camps throughout the province.
The Hockey Alberta program is a significant step in the identification and evaluation process for U16 Team Alberta and is the final opportunity for Western Hockey League scouts to assess players eligible for next month's bantam draft.
The Alberta Cup also provides coaches, therapists, equipment managers, administrators and officials the opportunity to be identified for potential positions at higher-level events like the Western Challenge, World U17 Hockey Challenge and Canada Winter Games.
