U11 and U15 Blades continue CAHL playoffs

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Sunny South News

By Cole Parkinson
Sunny South News

Both the U11 and U15 Blade teams were back on the ice this past weekend as Central Alberta Hockey League playoffs continued.

U11

The second round of playoffs came for the U11 Blades this past weekend as they matched up against Redcliff.

Game 1 went in Picture Butte on Saturday afternoon and the teams were unable to find a game-clinching goal as the game ended 6-6. Tucker Tillsley had two goals and an assist, Mackaila Vandenberg had a goal and two assists, Reeve Mcleod had a pair of goals, Jude Klingenberg had a single goal, and Brady Wasylowich chipped in with an assist. Cale Campbell was in net for the Blades and the goalie made 25 saves on 31 shots.

With both teams looking to win the series, they met back up on Sunday afternoon for the final game. This time, the Blades were able to score plenty of goals and secure a 6-3 win and move on to the next round. Tillsley had another two goals and an assist, Isiah Wiebe and Vandenberg had a goal and an assist each, while Mcleod and Klingenberg had a goal each. Jace Realini was in net for the Blades and made 11 saves on 14 shots.

The Blades now head to the T3 Blue Championship where they will take on their rival — the Coaldale Cobras.

U15

The second round of the playoffs saw the Picture Butte Blades take on Nanton, who finished first in T3 White this season.

 It was a tough matchup for the Blades, but the team was ready to put up a fight. Game 1 saw the Blades on the road and it was smooth sailing for the first two periods as the team held a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. Unfortunately for the Blades, Nanton would score three straight in the third and clinch a 5-4 win in the first game. Tanner Quinn had a pair of goals for the Blades while Carson Konynenbelt had a goal and an assist, Dalton Dell had one snipe, and Luka Rudelich, Asher Sincennes, and Austin Liebreich had an assist each. Gavin Johnson was in net for the Blades and the goalie made 27 saves on 32 shots.

Game 2 saw the series come to Picture Butte and while the home team had hoped to extend the series to three games, that wasn’t in the cards as Nanton claimed a 7-3 win. Rudelich, Dell, and Brayden Oostlander had the Blade goals with Connor Oostlander, Sincennes, and Tanner Quinn collecting an assist each. Johnson was back in net for the Blades and the netminder made 36 saves on 43 shots.

The Blades now shift down to the T3 White consolation bracket where they will take on Lethbridge Red.