Renegades remain undefeated after playoff tilt

BARRHEAD - The Barrhead U18-2 Renegades' undefeated streak continues.

On Feb. 28, the Renegades beat Wabasca 9-4 on the road, followed by another convincing 8-4 win at the Barrhead Agrena on March 2 in a North Eastern Alberta Hockey League (NEAHL) Tier 3 playoff series.

This follows a regular season in which the Renegades won their last eight regular-season games after being promoted from Tier 3B and nine wins at the lower tier. When all games are totalled, Barrhead is on a 21-game unbeaten streak, winning 19 regular season games regular season games before the two playoff games.

In the first game, on the road, the Renegades got off to a slow start, with Wabasca outscoring them 4 to 1 in the first period. Barrhead's goal was an unassisted marker by Rylan Keith with just under four minutes to go in the period. In the second and third periods, the Renegade's offence came alive, scoring eight unanswered goals, five in the second and three in the third. Barrhead goalscorers were Nash Braucht, with an assist to Nathan Erickson; Kaden Lane, assisted by Keith; Keith, assisted by Mason Lofflebein; Corbin Wood, with assists to Braucht and Cage Couiyk; Drake Schlitter, assisted by Layne Young; and Young, unassisted. Barrhead's final two goals were scored by Keith and were assisted by Young.

In the second game, at the Agrena, Barrhead got off to a much better start, outscoring Edson 4-0 in the first period and outshooting them 22 to 7. In the second, Wabasca rebounded, making it a game, outscoring the home team 3 to 1. Early in the third, the visitors pulled within one goal, scoring on a breakaway, when Wabasca took a series of costly, unnecessary, undisciplined penalties, including charging, an unsportsmanlike, two misconduct penalties and two bench minors.

The Renegades took full advantage of the penalties, scoring two power-play goals and one just after a penalty expired, putting the game out of reach. Barrhead outshot Wabasca 31 to 2 for the period and 63 to 18 in the game.

Barrhead goalscorers were Braucht and Lane, both unassisted markers, followed by Mason Golden with assists to Carson Nanninga and Schlitter, Keith assisted by Lane and James Tyrrell, Loffelbein assisted by Lane, Couiyk assisted by Schlitter, Young assisted by Lane and Keith. Erickson scored the final Barrhead goal with assists from Braucht and Tyrrell.

The worst penalty occurred with no time left on the clock when a Wabsca player called for an attempt to injure after he blindsided a Barrhead skater, hitting him from behind near the boards.

However, the preview of what was to come started in the second period, with about six minutes left in the period, when a Wabasca player hit a Renegade from behind, and he also received a 10-minute misconduct penalty. As part of the same incident, another Wabasca player received both unsportsmanlike conduct and 10-minute misconduct penalties.

In the third period, with about seven minutes to go in the game.

Barrhead goalscorers were Braucht and Lane, both unassisted markers, followed by Mason Golden with assists to Carson Nanninga and Schlitter, Keith assisted by Lane and James Tyrrell, Loffelbein assisted by Lane, Couiyk assisted by Schlitter, Young assisted by Lane and Keith. Erickson scored the final Barrhead goal with assists from Braucht and Tyrrell.

"We are just glad to get through it unscathed. To come out of it safe when you play against a team like that, who had other things than hockey on their mind, with only bumps and bruises, it is a blessing," head coach JC Lane said. "The refs also helped out by keeping the game under control, but now we are off to the semi-finals, and we'll see what happens there."

He also noted that for a while, they were not sure if the game was going to be completed, as the Wabasca team, at about the 13-minute mark players, cleared the bench and started to go to their dressing room on two occasions, following one of their players receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well as a 10-minute game misconduct penalty.

Lane added they were not sure who they would play in the next round for sure, but that it would likely be the Mannvile/Irma squad from the East Division. Mannville finished the regular season with 20 wins and two losses.

If they win, he said, Barrhead would move on to the NEABL championships round and also qualify for a spot in the provincial championships.

As of March 3, the NEAHL had not released the schedule for the third round of the playoffs.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com