GRIZZLYS GET GOING
A total team effort.
That's what it was going to take to beat the Drumheller Dragons in the 5th and deciding game of their first round series and the Olds Grizzlys did not disappoint the over 1200 in attendance at the Sports Complex.
The Dragons would open the scoring at 16:35 of the 1st period on a great goal by Ashton Reinboldt after an even better pass from Robbie Nocera.
But just over two minutes later and with only 1:18 left to go in the period - Grizzly Captain Curtis deBruyn would speed from blue-line to blue-line and beyond - dropping behind the Dragons net, but not before feathering a beautiful pass to Shadoe Stoodley, who was left all alone in front and made no mistake potting his league leading 6th of the post-season over the shoulder of Braden Gamble.
The Grizzlys would score the lone goal of the second on great grind it out effort on the Power Play - Jordan Kwas didn't draw an assist on the play, but make no mistake, he was key to the goal, drawing in two Dragons thanks to some fancy stick work before dishing to Frank Carbonaro on the point, who passed the deBruyn, who connected with Brance Orban who launched the puck past Gamble putting Olds up 2-1 with 14:26 left to go in the frame.
In the third Sean Neumeier would score the eventual game winner at the 7:20 mark thanks to a tremendous break out, through the neutral zone pass from Wade Bergman.
The Dragons would make the game a little more interesting when just three minutes later Jeff Young would scored on the Power Play - making it 3-2.
But the final nail in the coffin of the Dragons' season would come with less than 3 minutes left in the game - when Nic Bourgeois would add some insurance after winning a battle along the boards, driving hard to Drumheller's net and beating Gamble high-stick side - making it 4-2.
Drumheller would pull Gamble with a 1:38 left in the game for the extra attacker allowing deBruyn to cap off a fantastic game by notching an empty goal and sending Olds to a 5-2 win.
In the end Olds out-shot the Dragons 47-21 in arguably their best "team effort" of the series and maybe the season.
GAME NOTES
Olds Brendon Algeo came back from injury and saw ice time for the 1st time in the series and was fantastic. Drumheller's Justin Faryna missed what would have been his last game in the AJHL due to an injury he suffered in Game 3 on home ice. Olds went 1 for 6 with the PP - the Dragons went 1 for 4. Marc Boulanger finished the game with a .904 save percentage while Braden Gamble finished at .913.
SCORING SUMMARY
| PERIOD 1 |
| Drumheller Dragons at 16:35 - Ashton Reinboldt from Robert Nocera |
| Olds Grizzlys at 18:42 - Shadoe Stoodley from Curtis deBruyn and Matt Marantz |
| PERIOD 2 |
| Olds Grizzlys at 5:34 (PP) - Brance Orban from Curtis deBruyn and Frank Carbonaro |
| PERIOD 3 |
| Olds Grizzlys at 7:20 - Sean Neumeier from Wade Bergman and Marc Boulanger |
| Drumheller Dragons at 10:18 (PP) - Jeff Young from Tyler Matthews |
| Olds Grizzlys at 17:03 - Nicholas Bourgeois (unassisted) |
| Olds Grizzlys at 19:19 (EN) - Curtis deBruyn (unassisted) |
SERIES SUMMARY
Game 1 - Drum 6 Olds 2 (Olds Sports Complex)
Game 2 - Olds 4 Drum 2 (Olds Sports Complex)
Game 3 - Olds 7 Drum 0 (Drumheller Memorial Arena)
Game 4 - Drum 6 Olds 5 (2OT) (Drumheller Memorial Arena)
Game 5 - Olds 5 Drum 2 (Olds Sports Complex)
SERIES NOTES
(At post Time) After the 5 game series Grizzly Captain Curtis deBruyn lead the league in points with 1g, 9pts. Followed by two other Grizzlys in Brance Orban with 5g, 8 pts and Jordan Kwas with 3g, 8pts. Olds Shadoe Stoodley was tied for the league lead in Goals with 6. Marc Boulanger finished with .897 Save Percentage and a 2.96 GAA.
IN THIS BLOGGERS OPINION
Some may tilt their heads and call me crazy by this comment - but I think being stranded outside the Ronn Gore Memorial Arena in Torrington for over 8 hours in the midst one of the worst wind and snow storms in Alberta in recent memory, all of this after a 6-5 OT loss - did the Grizzlys a World of Good. In game 5 the Grizzlys played more as a team than I've seen this season, in fact they played like a family. Families ban together in tough times and in this bloggers opinion it's too far of a stretch to not think that sitting on a bus as a team, as a family, whether they talked about the OT loss or not, all through the night - had nothing to do with their style on the ice in Game 5.
LOOKING AHEAD TO ROUND 2
The Olds Grizzlys will head to Okotoks on Sunday to start Round Two with the Okotoks Oilers.
Check back Sunday for STATS CENTRAL.
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ANOTHER AWARD FOR ORBAN
The Alberta Junior Hockey League has selected Brance Orban of the Olds Grizzlys as the AJHL recipient of the 2009 RBC Junior A Scholarship. The 2009 RBC Junior A Scholarship recipients, one from each of the CJHL’s ten leagues, receive $1,000 toward post-secondary education, with one national winner receiving $5,000.
The annual scholarship provides financial assistance to players of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) for their post-secondary education. Players eligible for the RBC Junior A Scholarship must be a Canadian citizen, on a Canadian Junior A team roster, and registered in or applying for full-time post-secondary studies. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievements, Junior A success, and community involvement.
Brance Orban will be attending Bemidji State University in Minnesota for the 2009-2010 season. Orban is currently evaluating two options for his post-secondary studies; Sports Management or Elementary Education.
In High School, Brance volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club and volunteered as a coach for young hockey players. Since arriving in Olds, Brance has participated in the Kindergarten reading program, Special Olympics Floor Hockey games, assisted with hockey schools, and volunteered with local team practices. Orban and his teammates have set up a Tobacco Awareness program for young kids in Olds and the surrounding communities, and have raised over $1,500 in cancer pledges during the past three seasons by shaving their heads.
Scott Kenway of the Olds Grizzlys won the 2007-2008 RBC Junior A Scholarship. The recipient of the $5,000 National RBC Junior A Scholarship will be presented at the 2009 RBC Royal Bank Cup in May 2009. The winner of the National RBC Junior A Scholarship will be selected by a national panel of Hockey Canada appointed junior hockey representatives.
(as taken from www.ajhl.ca)
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THE NEXT FEW MILES ON THE ROAD TO THE ENERFLEX CUP
South Division Match-Ups - Round Two (Division Semi-Final)
Brooks Bandits (1) vs. Camrose Kodiaks (4)
Game 1 – Sunday, March 8 @ Brooks 7:00PM
Game 2 – Monday, March 9 @ Brooks 7:00PM
Game 3 – Wednesday, March 11 @ Camrose 7:30PM
Game 4 – Thursday, March 12 @ Camrose 7:30PM
* Game 5 – Saturday, March 14@ Brooks 7:00PM
* Game 6 – Monday, March 16 @ Camrose 7:30PM
* Game 7 – Wednesday, March 18 @ Brooks 7:00PM
The Brooks Bandits earned a first round bye in the 2009 AJHL Playoffs by securing 1st place in the South Division. The Camrose Kodiaks defeated the Calgary Canucks in the opening round of the 2009 AJHL Playoffs to advance to the South Division Semi-Final.
The Camrose Kodiaks earned a bye to the South Division Semi-Final in 2008 and won the AJHL Championship in Game 7 versus the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The Brooks Bandits were eliminated in Round One of the 2008 AJHL Playoffs by the Drumheller Dragons.
Okotoks Oilers (2) vs. Olds Grizzlys (3)
Game 1 – Sunday, March 8 @ Okotoks 7:00PM
Game 2 – Monday, March 9 @ Okotoks 7:00PM
Game 3 – Wednesday, March 11 @ Olds 7:30 PM
Game 4 – Thursday, March 12 @ Olds 7:30 PM
* Game 5 – Saturday, March 14@ Okotoks 7:00PM
* Game 6 – Monday, March 16 @ Olds 7:30 PM
* Game 7 – Wednesday, March 18 @ Okotoks 7:00PM
The Okotoks Oilers swept the Canmore Eagles in Round One of the 2009 AJHL Playoffs. The Olds Grizzlys defeated the Drumheller Dragons in Game 5 to advance to the Division Semi-Final Series versus the Oilers. The Okotoks Oilers and the Olds Grizzlys were both eliminated in Round Two of the 2008 AJHL Playoffs.
North Division Match-Ups - Round Two (Division Semi-Final)Spruce Grove Saints (1) vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (4)
Game 1 – Saturday, March 7 @ Spruce Grove 7:00PM
Game 2 – Sunday, March 8 @ Spruce Grove 7:00PM
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 10 @ Ft. McMurray 8:30PM
Game 4 – Wednesday, March 11 @ Ft. McMurray 8:30PM
*Game 5 – Friday, March 13 @ Spruce Grove 7:00PM
*Game 6 – Sunday, March 15 @ Ft. McMurray 8:30PM
*Game 7 – Tuesday, March 17 @ Spruce Grove 7:00PM
The Spruce Grove Saints earned a first round bye in the 2009 AJHL Playoffs by securing 1st place in the North Division and also captured the Dave Duchak Trophy as the 2008-2009 AJHL Regular Season Champions. The Saints were defeated by the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the 2008 League Semi-Final.
Fort McMurray advanced to the 2009 North Division Semi-Final by eliminating the Bonnyville Pontiacs 3-1 in Round One. The Oil Barons also eliminated the Pontiacs from the 2008 AJHL Playoffs . The Fort McMurray Oil Barons were then defeated by the Camrose Kodiaks in Game 7 of the 2008 League Final.
Grande Prairie Storm (2) vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders (3)
Game 1 – Saturday, March 7 @ Grande Prairie 7:30PM
Game 2 – Sunday, March 8 @ Grande Prairie 7:30PM
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 10 @ Sherwood Park 7:30PM
Game 4 – Wednesday, March 11@ Sherwood Park 7:30PM
*Game 5 – Friday, March 13 @ Grande Prairie 7:30PM
*Game 6 – Sunday, March 15 @ Sherwood Park 7:30PM
*Game 7 – Tuesday, March 17 @ Grande Prairie 7:30PM
The Storm have advanced to Round Two with a 3-1 series victory over the Lloydminster Bobcats. The Storm were eliminated by the Spruce Grove Saints in Round Two of the 2008 AJHL Playoffs.
The Crusaders eliminated the St. Albert Steel in the opening round of the 2009 AJHL Playoffs to advance to Round Two. The Crusaders were defeated by the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the opening round of the 2008 AJHL Playoffs.
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