As minor hockey playoffs approach decisive stages, a few Stettler teams continue their battles for a title while others drop out of the race to pack up their equipment until next season.
Stettler atom AA Elks tied 4-4 against Rocky on home ice on Sunday with goals coming from Rhett Shingoose, Alex De Young and Sam Hamelin (2). Elks could capture a 3-1 lead in the second period but could not hold on to it in the third when the visitors scored three in a row to get a 4-3 lead before Sam Hamelin sent home the equalizer.
AA Elks now face Sundre for their next playoff series whereby the winner will be decided on aggregate score at the end of the two games. The outcome of the series will be known when the local boys Sundre on Wednesday, March 16 for the second and final game of the series. Winners go on to the final series for the league championship.
Atom AA Elks will also be traveling to Wainwright for provincials on Friday, March 18, to play against Indus, High River and Peace River in the round robin.
Atom C Elks for their part won handsomely last Friday, March 11, against visiting Sylvan Lake Lakers when they came out with a 8-3 victory.
Scorers were Cole Heck (4), Delaney Anderson (2), Beau Cooper and Patrick Fisher.
One of the teams eliminated last weekend were Stettler midget Blues, who lost a tightly contested game to Innisfail with a score of 5-4.
Derek Muhlbach scored twice and Lyle Wooden and Steve Fletcher added one each to the scoreboard, but the effort came short in the face of faster skating opponents.
Bantam girls, hosting Delburne Outlaws on Sunday, March 13 came out victorious from an exciting game handing their opponents a decisive defeat with a score of 7-4.
Ronni Burrows, Kelsi Litke and Morgan VanDusen all scored twice with Jayden Hogg completing the tally.
Peewee Storm A lost both of their games over the weekend, losing first to Eckville 11-7 on Saturday and then giving in to Red Deer Sunroofing 6-1, thereby dropping their challenge for place in their division for this season.
In Saturday’s game, Brett Coleman and Cooper Smyth scored twice each, with Ryan Mielke, Steven McCrea and Luke Skocdopole completing the numbers with one goal each. In Sunday’s game, Ryan Mielke registered the single point on the scoresheet.