Raiders rocking The St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders are undefeated in eight games while maintaining their first-place ranking in the north division of the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
Raiders rocking
The St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders are undefeated in eight games while maintaining their first-place ranking in the north division of the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
The Raiders (10-7-3) are rolling along at a 5-0-3 clip after Sunday’s 3-3 draw with the Calgary Flames (10-5-4) at Father David Bauer Arena. The Flames scored the equalizer with 3:04 to play.
Brady Nicholas on the power play, Cam Aucoin and Blake Sydlowski were the Raiders marksmen.
Shots were 27-23 for the Raiders and Mitch Reidy (7-3-1, 2.04 GAA) was in net. Reidy is also the AMHL Source for Sports north division player of the month for November while going 3-1 with only five goals against while posting a 1.25 GAA and .947 save percentage.
The day before in Airdrie, Evan Fradette (3-4-2, 1.73 GAA) stopped 23 shots for his second shutout and the team’s third in seven games in the 4-0 decision against the Bisons (6-12-2).
The Raiders were credited with 31 shots as Brett Bamber and Austin Spiridakis on the power play, Carson Henry and Aucoin’s empty-netter paced the attack.
The No. 1 defensive team in the north is averaging two goals against per game skating into Saturday’s contest against the Maple Leafs (1-16-3) at 5 p.m. at Bill Hunter Arena.
Sunday the Raiders host the Sherwood Park Kings (9-11-1) at 1:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
Meanwhile, the last game for the Raiders before the 40th annual Mac’s tournament, Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 in Calgary, is against the Canadian Olympic women’s team Dec. 19 at 7:15 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
The Olympians are 5-3-1 against AMHL competition and the results count in the standings.
Slash in second
The St. Albert Ron Hodgson Slash and Rocky Mountain Raiders continue to swap spots on top of the midget AAA leader board in the Alberta Female Hockey League.
The Slash (12-5) are 3-2 against the Raiders (12-4-2) after Saturday’s 4-2 loss in St. Albert.
The Raiders led 3-1 after 40 minutes after potting a pair on the power play to open the scoring in the second period.
Taylor Anker and Tyra Meropoulis replied for the Slash and Madison Willan assisted on both goals.
The Slash were outshot 27-16 and Brianna Sank (6-3, 1.21 GAA) was in net as the Raiders notched their second win in St. Albert. The Slash beat the Raiders three times in Dewinton.
The Raiders are now one point ahead of the Slash after trailing the 2017 Esso Cup national champions by two points entering the weekend.
The Slash were coming off a 2-0 victory over the Red Deer Chiefs (10-3-3) Friday.
Shots were 25-19 for the Slash as Camryn Drever (6-2, 1.63 GAA) posted her first shutout and the team’s third of the season.
Isabelle Lajoie scored 63 seconds into the second and Mckenzie Hewett closed it out with an empty netter.
The Slash also killed off a five-minute major to Makenna Schuttler in the third.
The next game is Saturday against the Lloydminster Steelers (10-2-1) at 7:15 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
Smooth Sabres
The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres extended their undefeated streak to eight games in Sunday’s victory at Akinsdale Arena.
The 5-2 result against the Camrose Red Wings (4-15-1) was also the fifth win in six games for the Sabres (12-2-4) as the nitro north division leaders in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
Ethan Sundar, Tyson Greenway and Jaxon Dube produced three points apiece.
Greenway’s two goals included a power-play tally. Sundar, Zakk Makeiff and Dube sniped singles and Breck McKinley chipped in with two assists.
Shots were 49-18 for the Sabres and Carson Ironside (4-2-2, 2.21 GAA) was between the pipes.
The Sabres kicked off the weekend with Saturday’s 4-4 draw as the host Sherwood Park Flyers (9-7-3) netted the equalizer with 3:54 to play.
Sundar struck twice and Chase Visser on the power play and Dube also scored.
The shot count was 39-23 for the Sabres and the netminder was Matt Tebbutt (8-0-2, 2.33 GAA).
The Sabres are back in action Saturday against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (8-9-2), the defending AMBHL champions and bronze medallists at westerns. It’s a noon face-off at JRC Arena. In the 2017 playoffs, the Rangers knocked off the Sabres, who were 31-1-4 in league play, in the fifth and deciding game in the north conference final.
Monday the Sabres play the Maple Leafs (2-16-1) at 6:45 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
Meanwhile, Carter Savoie is the second graduate of the 2016/17 Sabres to commit to an NCAA division one team.
Savoie, a forward with the Northern Alberta Xtreme elite 15s based at St. Francis Xavier High School, is scheduled to join the Denver Pioneers of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2020/21.
Austin Spiridakis, a forward with the midget AAA St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders, is also committed to the Quinnipiac Bobcats of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
In the 2017 Western Hockey League bantam draft, Savoie was selected 198th overall by the Regina Pats and Spiridakis was picked 262nd overall by the Everett Silvertips. They were among eight Sabres drafted.
Flyers rising
The St. Albert Flyers are within striking distance of first place in the north standings of the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League after recording three points in two games last weekend.
The midget 15 Flyers (11-3-4) trail the Sherwood Park Squires (13-3-2) by two points for the division lead after setting for a 1-1 tie Sunday against the Lloydminster Bobcats (6-6-4) in the Border City.
The Bobcats pulled even in the third period after Mathieu Gautier cashed in a power-play goal in the first.
The Flyers were outshot 24-22 and Ethan Barwick 7-2-2, 2.28 GAA) was in net.
The night before at Akinsdale Arena, Ryley Morgan and Dylan McFatridge scored two goals apiece in the 8-3 thumping of the SSAC Bulldogs (4-9-3). McFatridge’s second of the game was on the power play to make it 8-2.
Maddux Nollski on the power play and Noah Wilson, Matt Reidy and Taige Harding also found the back of the net. Gautier finished with three assists.
The Flyers outshot the Bulldogs 40-32 and Matt Clement (4-1-2, 3.44 GAA) tended the twine.
The Flyers are undefeated in seven games when they host the Leduc Oil Kings (7-7-3) Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Super Sharks
The St. Albert Sharks remain undefeated this season after winning twice in Grande Prairie last weekend in the Alberta Female Hockey League.
Scores were 5-1 and 4-3 for the midget elite Sharks (10-0) against the Peace Country Storm (5-5).
Annika Neset led the Sharks in scoring against the Storm with two goals and four assists and Brooklyn Schroeder collected four points.
Schroeder and Neset are first and second in team scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Cecelia Michelutti (4-0, 0.75 GAA) faced 15 shots in the first game and Holly Borrett (6-0, 1.50 GAA) was tested 14 times in the rematch. The Sharks registered 31 and 30 shots.
The Edmonton Pandas (3-8-1) are on tap next Monday at 8:45 p.m. at Troy Murray Arena.
