Endurance and hard work kept the Athabasca Hawks in command against the Edson Eagles as they took them down 3-1 and 6-0 in two back-to-back games on Dec. 30.
The four-hour, Tier 1 Interlock League showdown brought about 60 people to the stands of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
Hawks head coach Brad Sakowich said the key to success was that the team played within their structure and took advantage of their opponent’s fatigue.
He added that the Hawks called up a few ringers from the Atom ‘B’ teams – Kegan Miller and Tyler Richards joined the roster for the first game of the day, while Lucy Woodburn-Elliot and Kaydon Kostyk played during the second.
“Most of the games, we play with just two lines,” Sakowich said. “They’re rolling every second shift, whereas the other team – it’s a little bit tougher, because they’re not used to that.”
The Hawks got off to a slow start on the scoreboard, allowing the Eagles to get the first goal 12:44 into the first game.
Despite several breakaways and great shots on goal, the Hawks did not get their vengeance until the 15-minute mark of the second period, when Jesse Li managed to sneak the puck in behind the Eagles goalie.
Jesse Li and Owen Alix secured the Hawks lead during the third period, with assists from Marcus Sakowich and Landy Johnson, bringing the final score to 3-1.
The Hawks ruled the roost during the second game, with Alix making the first goal during the first period. Mahekun Laroche scored the next, and Li assisted by Lochlan Hefferan and Alix got another soon after. Landy Johnson, assisted by Li, grabbed his own goal, and Alix closed the second period for a score of 5-0. Laroche, with an assist from Matthew Liddell, topped it all off for a final score of 6-0.
“They really played well,” Sakowich said. “We had the puck the majority of the second game.”
The penalty box was almost empty during the first game, outside of a little tussle in front of the net that saw a player from each team sent to the sin bin.
Both teams had ruffled feathers during the second game – the ref doled out nine penalties in the third period alone – but Sakowich noted that Edson is a nice team to play as are all the teams in the Sturgeon Pembina Hockey League, which includes Edson and Athabasca.
“There’s a lot of respect between the teams, which is nice,” Sakowich said.
Sakowich said coaching staff – which includes assistant coaches Brett Gullion and Colin Hefferan – has found the Atom ‘A’ team really enjoyable to coach this year. He added that Curtis Creaser has also been helping out, putting in a lot of time and effort at all levels.
“They all want to compete and do well,” Sakowich said of the players.
