A 5-3 loss on Sunday night in front of a packed crowd at the RJ Lalonde Arena officially ended the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs season.
Although Bonnyville controlled play for the majority of the series, the bounces just didn't go their way, and the Sherwood Park Crusaders swept them in three straight games.
“I thought that we played two of three periods (on Sunday) that gave us an opportunity to win,” said Pontiacs head coach and GM Rick Swan. “I thought we were the better team for eight of the nine periods that we played (in the series), but with playoff hockey sometimes the result doesn't represent the performance of the players.”
Game one was a seesaw battle down in Sherwood Park, which saw the teams trade goals in a high scoring affair. The Crusaders won 6-5 with forward Andrew Taverner scoring 3:48 into overtime to win the game.
In game two the teams tightened up defensively and kept it close right up to the very end. Colten Meaver scored with six seconds left to give the Crusaders the win and a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The third game on Sunday night saw the scene move to Bonnyville and the RJ Lalonde Arena, a rink where the hometown Pontiacs had won their last seven games.
The Pontiacs came out of the gate slow and let the Crusaders get to them with their speed and skill. Sean MacTavish scored twice, Nicholas Jones had a goal and an assist and the Crusaders lead Bonnyville 3-1 after one.
“I thought coming into the game we had a lot of confidence. However after period one we gave them a lead and it was difficult to come back,” said Swan. “We responded well in the second and third periods. I am proud of our guys for sticking with it and competing.”
Bonnyville came out on fire to start the second, as Spencer Foo busted down the middle and whipped a wrist shot past Crusader goaltender Tommy Nixon just 16 seconds into the period.
The team continued with an offense onslaught, throwing a ton of pucks towards Nixon and outshooting Sherwood Park 16-9 in the period. A crossbar and a post kept the Pontiacs from tying the game, and they went into the intermission down 3-2.
The team knew it was do or die time heading into the third period, as they needed a win to extend their season.
They came out with the same fire they had in the second period but again were unable to get the bounces needed to tie the game.
An untimely penalty sent the Crusaders to the power play. They converted 52 seconds into the man advantage to go up 4-2 early in the third.
Bonnyville didn't let the fourth goal deflate them as they continued their strong play, pinning Sherwood Park deep in their own end. The hard forecheck paid off, as the Crusaders were forced into two minor penalties 1:16 apart.
Four seconds into the two-man advantage a Redford Swan slapshot beat Nixon five hole to make the game 4-3.
Bonnyville pressured offensively getting several quality scoring chances but were unable to get a fourth puck past Nixon.
Dillon Massie hit the empty net with 32 second left to seal the win and the series sweep.
“It's a little unfair how the world works sometimes. I definitely think we got robbed by Sherwood Park,” said Pontiacs forward Spencer Foo after the game-three loss. “You ask anybody who watched this series and I think they would all say that we were the better team. Bounces didn't go our way. We couldn't close out a couple periods and it ended up hurting us.”
It was the last AJHL game for a bunch of 20-year-old Pontiacs players, who are too old to play another season in the league. Captain Locke Muller, assistant captains Redford Swan, Jackson Dudley and Dallas Mortensen, along with goaltender Stephen Klein, and TJ Cunningham all saw their junior hockey careers finish as members of the Pontiacs.
“I thank them so much. The emotion and the tears that they expressed to each other tears you up. There wasn't a dry eye in that dressing room,” said Swan. “What they all said in their end of the year speech was don't take anything for granted, that time goes by quick here and to make sure you leave everything, both on and off the ice, here. I have got nothing but a tremendous amount of respect for what they bring every day.”
Bonnyville finished the 2013-14 season with a 26-28-6 record and 58 points, which placed them fifth in the North Division. The team went 7-4-1 in their last 12 games and were one of the better teams down the stretch.
“Through our last 12 games of the season we were at the top of all AJHL teams. We finished strong and we created something,” said Swan. “It's sad now that we are out, but really we feel optimistic going into next season because we have got most of our guys coming back.”
