Well, it was an exciting week and weekend of hockey. On Wednesday, January 26, the Cougars played host to first place Kipling. Earlier in the season, the Cougars struggled against Kipling, but on Wednesday, the Cougars played a great game which ended in a 3 to 3 tie. The Cougars came out flying. Four minutes in, Riley McCrimmon passed to Jake McLeod, who passed to Sam Matthewson and Sam did the rest one to nothing for Carlyle. Six minutes later, Tommy Cappo put a quick shot past the goaltender to make it two to nothing. Eight seconds later, yes, eight seconds later, Chalus scored to make it three to nothing. It was a great period to watch, if you were a Cougar fan. The second goal was a particularly memorable one which started with Jacob Chalus impersonating Wayne Gretzky behind the net. Chalus tried the wrap around, got the puck back, faked left, faked right, and then made a beautiful pass to Cappo. During this period, Austin Dovell did a great job moving the puck into the Kipling end. He also made some great passes including one which he completed while still spinning from a Kipling check. However, in the second period, Kipling came back to tie up the game. The third period saw both sides play with passion, but no one scored. The end result was three penalties each and three goals each.
Next, the Pee Wee Cougars visited the Oxbow Huskies. This very physical game resulted in numerous power play opportunities for the Cougars. Powerplay goals were scored by Jacob Chalus and Jake McLeod. Ashton Magatiaux demonstrated how important it is to work right till the horn when she popped one into the net with 20 seconds left in the first period. Dalton Loustel also scored with a defensive rush. This hard hitting game saw Kruz Wilson stop some bullets. In the end, Carlyle went home with the victory, 6 to 4.
But the third game this week was the thriller. On Sunday, January 30, after much anticipation, the Cougars faced the Wolseley Winterhawks in the Cougars' First Round of Provincial Playoffs. The nicely dressed players and "O Canada" before the game made everyone realize that this game was a special one. The game started with a pass from Chalus to Cappo to Mac Niven, who was in a perfect position in front of the net. With a quick Mac Attack Smack, Carlyle was up by 1. Niven was a force this game and was an important part of the Cougar powerplay. In the second period, the Chalus/Cappo duo found McLeod, who scored. In the third period, McLeod did what his teammates called a little "toe drag, dangle city" to deke the Winterhawk goalie left while McLeod swatted the puck in on the right. McCleod went on to get a Hat Trick when Niven and Loustel got him the puck 2 minutes later. Tommy Cappo did a tremendous job creating scoring opportunities this game. It seemed that every time Cappo got the puck, he got a shot on net or an assist. Next, Ashton "The Heat" Magatiaux showed off her speed when she blazed past two defenders for a breakaway opportunity. With Winterhawks swooping in on both sides, Magatiaux still got off a beautiful shot that made the score 5 to nothing. Kirk Zacharias played the falconer part as he hooded Hawk forwards all game. Zacharias ended up taking and delivering some solid checks and keeping Wolseley angled out of scoring opportunities. Sam Mattewson hustled hard this game keeping Wolseley off balance. He made sure the Hawks couldn't roost in front of our net and he was responsible for two assists in the third period. Jory, just back from a band trip, showed not only can he play a sax, but he can reed a play. His backchecking was a dirge for would-be Winterhawk rushes. Jett BigEagle had a terrific game and he just keeps getting faster. In numerous races with the Hawks, the Jettster showed that his wings aren't on his back. With wings on his skates, Jett flew like ApolloOhno. Riley McCrimmon was in on a lot of the action in the corners and in front of the Winterhawk net. The Wolseley flock just couldn't seem to get McCrimmon out of their way. Likewise, Clayton "The Chill" Hill did a great job taking away the puck from the Winterhawks. By the third period it was obvious that his great defensive play had been noticed. Good thing the Chill can handle the winter. Since Provincial Play is a two game total point system, the Cougars needed as many points as possible"Enter Sandman." Dalton "Sandman" Loustel scored after a melee in front of the Wolseley net to make the final score Carlyle 6, Wolseley 0. I'm sure that after the game Kruz Wilson complained that his head hurt, but that's what happens when you stand on it for 60 minutes of hockey. Wilson was superb and got a well-deserved shut-out! It was an intense game. If you were there, you know what I'm saying. The next game in the series is in Wolseley on Sunday, February 6. If you can get there, wear your Cougar gear. You don't want to miss it!
