The Barrhead ‘AA’ Midget Steelers lost 3-2 in Game 2 of their provincial playdowns on Feb. 9 against the St. Alberta Crusaders, but quickly got over the loss in time for their game against the Morinville Warriors on Feb. 11.
“We played an excellent game on Wednesday. We battled hard,” said Steelers coach Daniel Lefebvre.
The Warriors currently sit last in the West Blue division with only four points through 30 games.
Visiting Barrhead didn’t help them feel any better about themselves as the Steelers literally beat up the Warriors 5-2.
For the first 20 minutes the game would be pretty even as the both teams started strong, but the Steelers drew first blood when Brett Walker opened the scoring at 16:49.
Walker drove hard to the Warrior net with a defender draped over his back and managed to slide the puck past Simon Forcade.
The lowly Warriors were susceptible to the dump-and-chase game as the Steelers usually had two fore checkers pressuring the Warrior defencemen. At times, the Steelers appeared to be on the power play while both teams were at even strength.
“We’ve been stressing to the guys to move the puck and to get a lot of shots on net,” said Lefebvre.
At 8:45 the Warriors tied up the game when Tyler Fenelon beat Justin Challman with a quick shot along the ice.
“We told them to keep their heads in it, and to keep their feet moving,” said Lefebvre.
Their celebration was cut short as the Steelers took the lead 39 seconds later. Dylan Knapp fired a point shot that Forcade failed to smother, allowing an unchecked Jake Chizma to lift the puck over a sprawling Forcade, and into the yawning net.
“At times we played to our capability, but I think there is more in them,” said Lefebvre.
The Steelers started the second period on the right foot, carrying over their momentum from the first.
“We came out harder and faster in the second, and our power play started to click, which is nice. Hopefully that boosts their confidence,” said Lefebvre.
At 14:53, Chizma netted his second goal of the game and 16th of season, when Forcade couldn’t freeze the loose puck, giving Chizma an easy shot.
Not content with a 3-1 lead, the Steelers kept the pressure on. Lowell Knapp rang a blistering shot off the post at the halfway mark of the second.
Things got out of hand when Tyson Catling and Bo Fortin dropped the gloves. Both were assessed penalties for fighting and a game misconduct. Both players will miss one game each.
The fight sparked the Steelers as they found another gear and upped the tempo.
“We definitely wore them down by taking the body and keeping our feet moving,” said Lefebvre.
While on the power play, Nolan Schmidt added to the Steelers’ lead at 4:02, with a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and past a screened Forcade.
Thirty-three seconds later, Scott Westerlund joined the scoring party, scoring his fourth goal of the year.
Normally the second period is a hard climb for the Steelers, but not on this night. The Warriors were struggling to keep pace with the squad from Barrhead, and it was evident with their 33 minutes in penalties accumulated in the second.
The third period was tame compared to the second; however, the Steelers maintained their high level of hustle, stifling the Warriors at every turn.
“The guys played really well together; they showed a lot of hustle tonight. There’s a good feeling in the room right now,” said Justin Challman.
An odd moment unfolded in the dying seconds of the third. A Warrior forward went crashing into the Steelers’ net, pinning Challman’s arm and leaving the net wide open. The referee decided not to blow the whistle, giving Fenelon an empty net to score on.
“I don’t understand how I was supposed to save that,” said Challman
“We’ve got our focus on the playoffs now and hopefully we can get some revenge on St. Albert,” said Lefebvre.
