After dominating most of the play, and much of the game being see-sawed back and forth, the Stampeders lost to Three Hills in overtime in their regular league match at the Ponoka Cultural and Recreation Centre on Saturday, Dec. 21.
The intensely competitive game ended 5-4 after a Three Hills player was able to intercept a pass from behind the Stampeders net and push it past goalie Eli Falls’ defenses.
Despite having the win that head coach Mark Dobler believed they deserved taken away, he’s proud of the boys for their improvement on the ice and ability to stick to the game plan.
“The way the year started, and now to finish of 2013 like this, it’s pretty impressive. I’m proud of every single one of them and how could you not be?” said Dobler.
This is the Stampeders second consecutive loss in overtime after recently ending a third period against Okotoks — the top team in the league — in a 2-2 tie.
Dobler says a big part of the boys’ recent advancements is the fact that each team member is finally buying into the game plan. “The third period we were dominant. We competed well and we deserved that hockey game,” he said.
“They see if they stick together as a group they get results,” he added.
In the past Dobler has cited straying from the game plan, a lack of commitment to hard work and players overlapping duties as reasons for their losses. However, during the Three Hills game, the Stampeders were skating to a new tune.
Whether it was following through on their passes to remain in control, looking for the open spaces to move the puck up the ice, or continually putting the pressure on Three Hills defence, the Stampeders remained in top shape for most of the game.
Dobler says the boys only deviated from the game plan for a few minutes at the end of the first period and five minutes going into the second before quickly snapping back when they saw how easy it was for Three Hills to take control.
“There was great goaltending,” said Dobler, referring to Falls, who was under a consistent hailing of shots during each period as Three Hills finish the game with 38 shots on net. However, the Stampeders weren’t far behind, ending up with 37 shots on net.
The pressure on Three Hills started late in the first period as forward player Jacob Bottomley grabbed the team’s first goal of the game with only 37 seconds left. Three Hills pulled ahead after that, being the only team to score during the second period, but up until the last second it remained anyone’s game.
Bottomley scored again in the third period, as did Tye Munro and Chandler Knibb, who earned the Stampeders last goal of the game during a power play.
“It’s disheartening, that last goal. Sometimes guys work to hard to make a play,” said Dobler. During overtime, a Stampeders player lingered a few seconds to long behind his own net before attempting to clear the area, allowing Three Hills to get into position and grab the game-winning goal.
Along with being a game of equal skill, it was also intense and action packed, with both teams collecting a plethora of penalties for roughing, tripping, slashing, kneeing and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Spectators also became vocally volatile towards the game officials as the intensity of the game took over the arena.
This was the Stampeders 19th game and loss of the regular season and going into the new year Dobler is optimistic about what the boys are going to bring forth. “I’m excited,” he said, adding that future games are expected to go well, with the Stampeders continuing their current trajectory.
The Stampeders’ first game of the new season will take them on the road to Airdrie, Jan. 3 and back home again Jan. 4 to face off against Didsbury.