Mavericks goalie Carter Henderson celebrates the championship with teammate Britt Meech.
Mavericks goalie Carter Henderson celebrates the championship with teammate Britt Meech.
Mavericks Jack Grier fires a shot home for one of six goals Sunday against Siksika.
Nathan Keller of the Mavericks jumps on a loose puck in front of the Siksika goal.
Fort Macleod Mavericks capped the 2014-’15 season Sunday by winning the Central Alberta Tier 5 Novice Hockey League title.
The Mavericks swept Siksika in the best-of-three championship series to claim the playoff banner.
Mavericks 6 Siksika 5
The Mavericks opened the series Saturday with thrilling 6-5 overtime win at Siksika.
The host team drew first blood on a goal by Luke Wells just over a minute into the game.
The Mavericks shook off that setback and responded three minutes later with a goal by Jack Grier, assisted by Britt Meech.
The teams battled through eight scoreless minutes before Grier popped his second of the game, this one assisted by Avery Wolstenholme.
The Mavericks struck again two minutes later. This time AJ Poytress converted a pass from Teran Broderson to make it 3-1.
Siksika fought back with a pair of unanswered goals in the second period by Emery Medicine Shield to send the teams into the final period tied 3-3.
Grier completed his hat trick just over four minutes into the final frame, assisted by Nathan Keller and Liam Beer.
Just 46 seconds later Grier got his fourth of the game to make it 5-3 in Fort Macleod’s favour. Keller picked up the assist.
Once again, Siksika fought back and evened the score at 5-5 on another pair of goals by Medicine Shield.
Both teams pressed in the final two minutes but could not get the go-ahead goal, and the game headed to overtime.
Fort Macleod pulled this one out of the fire when Grier got his fifth goal of the game, assisted by Dylan Feyter, to give the Mavericks a 6-5 win.
Carter Henderson was in goal for the victory.
The win gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, and a chance to win the banner Sunday at Fort Macleod.
Mavericks 8 Siksika 6
The stage was set Sunday for another thriller.
Siksika was fighting for its playoff life, while the Mavericks savoured the chance to claim the banner on home ice.
The teams skated through 10 minutes of scoreless hockey, feeling each other out, before Jack Grier notched his first of the game, unassisted.
Just 47 seconds later the Mavericks were up 2-0 on a goal by Hayden Provost.
The Mavericks knew Siksika wasn’t going to quit, and with three goals in less than two minutes by Luke Duck Chief, Emery Medicine Shield and Selena McGuire, the visitors pulled in front 3-2.
Grier scored his second with just over five minutes left in the opening period, but Siksika countered with a pair of goals by Medicine Shield to take a 5-3 lead into the break.
Grier completed his hat trick 2 1/2 minutes into the second period to make it 5-4, and then the teams settled into a defensive battle.
Siksika finally found a crack in the Fort Macleod defence with seven minutes left and Medicine Shield popped his fourth of the game to restore the two-goal lead.
Things were looking bleak for the Mavericks but they got new life when Grier got his fourth of the game with just 25 ticks on the clock to narrow Siksika’s lead to 6-5 heading into the break.
Four minutes into the third period Grier scored his fifth goal of the game, and it was all tied at 6-6.
Play went back and forth for the next nine minutes, with Siksika having several quality chances only to be turned aside by Carter Henderson.
With seven minutes to go and Fort Macleod on the powerplay, Provost scored his second of the game, assisted by Grier, and the Mavericks led 7-6.
With their season hanging in the balance, Siksika pulled out all the stops but could not get another puck past Henderson, whose many saves included one on a breakaway.
Grier scored his sixth with 4:30 to play, assisted by Charlotte Austin, providing the Mavericks with insurance as they posted an 8-6 win to claim the banner.
