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Vikings cut playoff voyage short

The Augustana Vikings pillaged the Voyageurs 8-2 on Saturday at the Bold Center in a game that had coach Terry Ewasiuk reflecting on a season marred with loss and had him pining for a bigger team backed by more star players.

The Augustana Vikings pillaged the Voyageurs 8-2 on Saturday at the Bold Center in a game that had coach Terry Ewasiuk reflecting on a season marred with loss and had him pining for a bigger team backed by more star players.

The loss at the Bold Center marked the end of the Voyageurs’ season.

“Unfortunately, for our team, this year, we always found a way to lose,” said Ewasiuk, who held little back in expressing his general disappointment with the season. “I’m trying to find some good things to say about the team. They didn’t have a terrible season, but there was nothing they were really great at. We underachieved this year. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Momentum for the Voyageurs built slowly into the first period after an early scoring attempt raised hopes of securing the sought-after first goal of the game. But, though the Voyageurs outplayed the Vikings in the first two periods, hopes of leading the scoreboard from the start were squelched after the Vikings penetrated a Portage defense Ewasiuk called “non-existent.”

“We dominated in the first period, and outplayed the Vikings in second, but as the game progressed, the Vikings got more confident,” he said. “We had no defense, and, once again, goaltending was so-so.”

In addition to an inadequate defensive line, the Voyageurs forwards were unable to cash in on many scoring chances.

“We had many clear-cut scoring opportunities,” Ewasiuk said. “We just couldn’t finish. We failed to score on opportunities.”

Ewasiuk said Saturday’s game was a mirror image of Friday’s 4-5 loss in Camrose, when the strong-starting Voyageurs lost steam to the persistent and patient Vikings

“The Vikings weathered the storm,” said Ewasiuk, explaining that the opposition kept the Voyageurs at bay for early part of the game and were rewarded with a win.

Despite having an unremarkable season, the Voyageurs coach said many players are leaving the team, which will make room for a new batch of prospects.

“We’re losing most of our players from the team this year. Only eight players are staying,” he said. “ Next year, we’ll have a bigger team.”

Though the team will be starting the next season with many fresh faces, the Voyageurs coach said he’s been in contact with some key, skilled players boasting star potential similar to the team’s Mathew Foster, Dustin Popowich and Miles Houston lineup.

“Recruiting for next year has been going well,” he said. “I’ve already had contact with some great players. There’s a very good crop of graduating Juniors to choose from. Next year, we will have more Junior A players.”

Ewasiuk, with optimism for the Voyageurs’ future, described some of the new recruits as “gritty,” “top scoring” and “big.”

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