The St. Albert Raiders ended the regular season on a losing note in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
The 5-1 loss to the Oil Kings in Leduc last weekend left the Raiders (19-9-6) stuck in second place in the north division and third overall in the 16-team circuit.
The 2012 provincial finalists finished six points behind the Southside Athletic Club (22-6-6) for the north pennant and nine back of the south division Red Deer Chiefs (23-4-7) for the league title.
The top two teams in the north and south have first round byes.
The best-of-five north semifinals start next week.
The Raiders are 3-4-2 in 2013.
Captain Tyler Mrkonjic scored his 10th goal of the season against the fifth–place Oil Kings (16-13-5).
Leduc capitalized three times on the power play and outshot the Raiders 27-22.
Mitch Martell (12-6-2, 2.02 GAA) was in net for the top defensive team in the north.
Kyler Hehn finished fourth in league scoring with 41 points in 34 games. His 24 goals ranked third overall.
Brett Smythe led the Raiders in assists with 23 in 34 games and Harrison Blayney was the sin-bin leader with 108 penalty minutes in 32 games.
The second last game before the playoffs for the St. Albert Flyers in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League is 8 p.m. tonight against the SSAC Bulldogs at Akinsdale Arena.
The Flyers (19-6-5) are the top team in the north division and the Bulldogs (17-9-4) are fourth in the standings.
A win would clinch the north pennant for the Flyers. They also have to beat the Maple Leafs (7-17-4) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in St. Albert for a shot at overtaking the south division Red Deer Northstar Chiefs (21-5-3) for the league title.
The Flyers are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games after Sunday’s 6-3 decision against the Lloydminster Rage (14-9-5) in St. Albert.
Tristen Gavin and Nathan Bizeau scored two goals apiece. Cam Mazur and Matt Quartel notched singles and Ethan Lazaro picked up two assists. Pat Dea, the league’s No. 1 goalie at 12-5-2 and 1.75 GAA, stopped 37 shots.
The St. Albert Slash skate in Grande Prairie this weekend against the Storm in the best-of-five north division semifinal in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.
Game one goes this afternoon and game two is Sunday morning.
The rest of the playoff schedule was unavailable at press time.
The Storm (19-6-7) and Slash (14-13-5) finished second and third respectively, in the north.
The Storm won the season series at 2-1-1, with both wins in Grande Prairie.
In the opening playoff round the Storm had a bye and the Slash needed a third and deciding game to eliminate the sixth-place Sherwood Park Fury (3-24-5).
Deanna Morin scored twice and added three assists in Sunday’s 6-2 series clincher in St. Albert.
Kate Lumley potted a pair and Morgan Loroff and Abigail Benning had singles. Kaelin Klim stopped 22 shots.
The Slash won the playoff opener 4-1 in St. Albert and lost game two 3-2 in Sherwood Park.
Morin was the top point producer in the series with seven.
