Sherwood park had their hands full this weekend as they hit the road to take on the Okotoks Oilers on Friday while hosting the Blackfalds Bulldogs on Saturday for the final regular season game.
The Crusaders were looking to add onto a current five game winning streak when they rolled up to the Viking Rentals Centre in Southern Alberta. The game’s first goal would land on the stick of the captain, Stevie Grumley as he would tuck in the wrap-around goal to give the Cru’ the 1-0 lead ten minutes into the opening frame. The Oilers however were quick to notch the game up at one a piece when Michael Kowalski would snipe one top left corner to give him his 13th of the season. With just under five minutes remaining in the period, Waterloo University commit Braeden O’Keefe would bury his 20th of the season on a pretty passing play as he would re-gain the Crusaders one goal lead heading into the second.
The Oilers would open the second period up with two goals just six minutes in as Sam Esposito and Joseph Meredith would both score just 39 seconds apart to not only tie the game up but to give the Oilers their first lead of the game, 3-2. Sherwood Park would tie things up again as Bode Sampair just 90 seconds later would capitalize on the man-advantage to give him his 17th on the season and to make the game 3-3. The lead would then go the way of the Cru as Brant Romaniuk would pounce on a loose puck in the blue-paint to once again put the Crusaders up 4-3 with just eight minutes left in the second frame. In the dying stages of the period the Oilers would make it a 4-4 game as Jaime Hikida would get his 16th of the season to make it a tie game heading into the third.
In the third it would be the Oilers striking first in the last frame when Sam Esposito would get his second of the game ten minutes into the period to put the Oilers up 5-4. Just three minutes later though Bode Sampair would be found in front of the net and he would show off some great patience to wait out Oilers Netminder Patrik Kliment to make it a 5-5 game while also giving the Minnesota native his second of the contest.
No further goals would be scored in the third so for the second straight game the Crusaders would head into OT. Sherwood Park would have a hand-full of opportunities including a 4-on-3 powerplay in the extra period however it would be the Oiler’s Holden Pajor showing off some great hands to beat Filip Vavro giving the Oilers the 6-5 OT win.
—
For the final regular season game of the season the Cru’ would be hosting the Bulldogs looking to get one final win of the campaign. It would be the Bulldogs getting the first goal of the game as Vermont commit Danny Hussa scored just 79 seconds into the period to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 early. Crusaders captain Stevie Grumley just 32 seconds later would get his second goal of the weekend beating Bulldog’s goalie Oliver Kiraly glove-side to even the game up 1-1 all before the two minute mark of the first. With seven minutes remaining in the first Danny Hussa would then get his second of the period to one again put the Bulldogs up by one, 2-1. The Crusaders would throw a follow up punch in the late stages of the frame when Tommy Coccaro would be found in the slot on the powerplay as he would beat Kiraly to make the game a 2-2 score. Coming into the second the Cru’ would get their first lead of the game when Braeden O’Keefe would get a break-away off a Bulldogs turnover and he would make no mistake, sliding the puck five-hole to put Sherwood up 3-2. The Cru held the lead for most of the second but Blackfalds would end up finding the back of the net before the period was over when former Crusader Matthew Croxall notch his 16th of the season to make it a 3-3 game after 40 minutes of play.
The game would be back and fourth through all of the third however no team would score so it would be another overtime game for the third straight time for the Crusaders. Unlike the previous nights result the Cru would end up winning the game when Ryan White would get a lucky bounce off a loose puck in front of the net as he would get his fourth of the season and giving the Crusaders the 4-3 OT win for the final regular season game.
Sherwood Park now prepares for their first round matchup against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
Game one and two will be played on Friday April 3rd and Saturday April 4th in Blackfalds.
Full coverage of the game can be found on FloHockey.
