It took double overtime twice but the Cold Lake Ice took out their brooms and swept away the Killam Wheat Kings four games to none in the North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League final to win the team's second straight championship title Saturday at the R.J. Lalonde in Bonnyville.
Saturday's crowd of over 600 fans exploded into cheers as Ice forward Jesse Gerbig scored his second goal of the game at 13:44 of the second overtime period, clinching the game, series and second straight championship title for Cold Lake.
“Winning it in double overtime and hearing that ovation, it's what you tell your kids about, it's something you never forget,” said first-year Ice head coach and general manager Neil Langridge. “You can't say enough about this group of guys, just battling and keeping it going all year. And for Jesse Gerbig, two goals on his birthday, he played a hell of a game and a hell of a series.”
Gerbig, who turned 19 Saturday, ripped his first of the game top shelf in the second period to tie the game at two, before notching the game-winner in overtime.
Cold Lake also required a fifth period of hockey to defeat Killam in game one, where it was Ice forward and Glendon product Denis Cadrin popping the game winner.
Game two in Killam was close as well, with the Wheat Kings pulling within one goal late in the third period but the Ice held on for the 4-3 victory.
Cold Lake really came to play in game three, blowing out the Wheat Kings 10-3 in their own building. Cadrin and teammate Branden Domoslai both picked up five points in the win.
The series shifted back to the R.J. in Bonnyville, Cold Lake's temporary and more spacious home during the championship series, for game four, where the Ice capped off another special season.
Cold Lake's number one goalie Dusty Hyde, who received the league's Goaltender of the Year award for the third consecutive season prior to game four, said the win this year was even more special being in front of the home crowd.
“It's just a great feeling,” he said. “Having the support of everyone here. It's packed, it's loud, it's great.”
Cold Lake's captain Craig Wowk said the team stuck with the game plan all season.
“Just a lot of hard work, getting down and dirty, crashing and banging and getting that puck deep. The boys were fired up and it worked out well.”
Wowk added, “Nothing's sweeter than winning it at home.”
The Ice have made its home in the J.J. Parr Arena on 4 Wing and the Cold Lake North Arena for the past two seasons, but have a fan base and team makeup that well represents the entire Lakeland region.
On this year's playoff roster, the Ice are represented by seven players from Bonnyville, four from Cold Lake, two from Lac La Biche and Ardmore, as well as one each from Glendon, Elk Point and Morinville. There are also players coming from as far away as Fayetteville, North Carolina and Brandon, Manitoba, making up crucial components of the championship squad.
Ice forward Niko Bourget, who was tied for the league lead in scoring during the regular season, said it's difficult to describe the feelings of winning a championship but said this is a great group of guys to win it with.
“You work all year for this and it finally pays off. It's a great feeling, I just can't describe it,” said Bourget, who is one of the players on the team from Bonnyville. “Some of these guys have been playing together for more than 10 years. You couldn't ask for a better team to be a part of.”
This is the second consecutive season the Cold Lake Ice has run the table in the post-season, winning 11 straight games on the way to winning the NEAJBHL championship.
The Ice will now head to Okotoks for the Junior B provincial championships, which start April 5.
Langridge said the league championship was the first of two team goals this season. Cold Lake is now looking for provincial gold.
“We want to erase what we did in last year's provincials and bring home some gold this year for everybody in the Lakeland.”
