The Winterhawks’ run as provincial Senior ‘A’ champions is over. It came to a screeching halt at the provincial tournament in Grande Prairie on Saturday, when the Spirit River Rangers stopped the defending champs 5 – 2.
The ‘Hawks had started the tournament Friday in fine fashion, dispatching the Cold Lake Packers by a 9 – 4 score. But the Rangers ruled the day on Saturday.
Not that it wasn’t close. It was a very tight game, with the Rangers holding a 3 – 2 lead into the late going. Pulling their goalie for an extra attacker did not pay off for the ‘Hawks. Spirit River added two empty-net goals.
“They played clutch and grab,” says Winterhawks’ manager Grant Drewniak. “So it was hard for our guys to get their legs going. But if we would have cashed in on a few of the chances we had in the first period it would have been a different outcome.”
Keith Sinclair and Ryan Dierker scored the Slave Lake goals.
“Calvin (Beauchamp) played really well in net,” says Drewniak.
The people choosing the player of the game thought so too, giving that honour to Beauchamp.
The match-up between the two league champions was the same as in last year’s provincial ‘A’ final. The win for Spirit River put them into the final against the host Grande Prairie Athletics, which the ‘A’s won 4 – 0.
In their first game, the ‘Hawks clobbered a relatively weak Cold Lake team. Brent Blachford scored three, Ryan Dierker got two and Brad McTavish scored a couple. Joey Dunlop and Brian Bouchard scored the other Slave Lake goals. Beauchamp was the winner in net.
The score was just 1 – 0 after one period, but it opened up considerably in the second. The ‘Hawks led 5 – 2 after two. Blachford was named Slave Lake’s player of the game.
The ‘B’ final had the Ft. Macleod Mustangs facing off against the Rocky Mtn. House Rams, but the winner had not yet been posted on the Hockey Alberta website Monday morning. The ‘Hawks have won two provincial ‘B’ titles and one ‘A’ championship in their history.

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