Wolves Coach Kurt Walsten expected, or hoped, to be up three games to one over the Sexsmith Vipers after the first four games of their best of seven NWJHL semi-final. What he didn’t expect was for the Wolves to do better on Sexsmith ice than they did at home.
The Wolves pulled out Game 3 in overtime after what Walsten describes as a game when “the work ethic wasn’t there.”
Game 4 on Sunday saw the Wolves down 3 – 1 after two lacklustre periods. They poured it on in the third, but couldn’t get one past Vipers’ netminder Curtis Jones.
“I don’t know what we did for the first two periods,” says Walsten.
Nevertheless, the Wolves have to win one more game and Sexsmith has to win three.
The series started last Wednesday in Sexsmith. The Wolves won that one 6 – 4, with Ryan Gleason getting the winning goal.
In Game 2 the Wolves scored five third-period goals to win 8 – 6 and take a 2 – 0 lead in the series.
Back on home ice the Wolves overcame a 2 – 0 deficit early to take a 5 – 4 lead in the third period. But Sexsmith sniper Colin Dzurka tied it up with 1:25 remaining to send it into overtime. The Vipers outplayed Slave Lake in overtime, but it was James Leganchuk who scored, giving the Wolves the win and a 3 – 0 series lead.
“We were lucky to win,” says Walsten. “Mike (Brierley) won the game for us in overtime.”
On Sunday the Wolves scored first on a powerplay, but did not play well for two periods. They outshot Sexsmith 20 – 5 in the third, but it was the Vipers who got the only goal.
The series shifts back to Sexsmith for Game 5 on Wednesday night and returns to Slave Lake Thursday night if necessary.
Despite the relatively poor play on the weekend, Walsten says he’s confident about the final outcome of the series.
“I’m not worried or scared,” he says. “They’ve got to beat us three more in a row. We haven’t lost four games in a row all year.”

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