Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Vol. 45, No. 12
$1 includes GST
Your LOCAL Paper
Irma leads Stettler in ECSHL final
Leslie Cholowsky Staff Reporter
As the championship battle plays on in the East Central Senior Hockey League, between the Irma Aces and newcomer Stettler Imperials, the Aces are presently leading the series 2-0. The series started in Irma on Friday, March 18. Irma got a jump on the game immediately, with a goal from Jordan Mackay in the first minute, from Zach Mackay and Taylor Schubada, to take the lead. Stettler scored an answering goal midperiod to briefly tie things up, but two more goals from Irma, at the five-minute mark, from Tyler Fischer, assisted by Jesse Damberger and Scott Staden, then in the last minute of the period, from Zach Mackay, assisted by Justin Ganie and Ross Herzog, put Irma ahead 3-1 going into the second. The second period was all Irma, as the Aces downed four more goals, one a power play, to take a decisive 7-1 lead heading into the third. Tyler Kroening scored first, from Tyler Fischer and Jordan Mackay. Ross Herzog got the power play goal, from Schubada and Jordan Mackay, then Schubada scored a couple of minutes later, from Zach Mackay and Brady Johnson. Zach Mackay got his second of the night late in the period, unassisted. Stettler tried to come back in the final period, scoring three goals to Irma’s none, but it wasn’t enough, giving Irma a 7-4 win and the series lead 1-0 going to Stettler for game two. Austin Prior got the win in goal for Irma. Prior was also named to the All Star Team. Zach Mackay earned four points over the night and Schubada and Jordan
Mackay earned three points each on the game. There was no home advantage for Stettler in game two, played Sunday, March 20, as the two teams again came to a 7-4 final, again for Irma. Irma was first on the scoreboard, with a late-period goal from Darcy Tomlinson, unassisted. The Imperials tied it up 13 seconds later to head into the second at 1-1. Once again, the Aces hit their stride in the second, with Damberger scoring minutes into the period, from Kroening and Ganie. Stettler tied it up a minute later. Irma pulled ahead again with a goal from Tyson Soucy, assisted by Shane Tomlinson and Johnson, then went up by two with another from Damberger, this time from Kroening and Herzog. Two quick power play goals minutes apart, scored by Tyler Fischer, assisted by Zach Mackay and Schubada, then by Jordan Mackay, assisted by Schubada, put Irma ahead 6-2. Stettler scored a power play goal of their own to bring the score to 6-3 heading into the final period. In the final period, Stettler scored at the 15 minute mark to make the score 64. Stettler pulled their goalie for an extra man to try a final push at the end of the period, resulting in one more goal, scored by Irma’s Ganie, unassisted, for a 7-4 final and a 2-0 series to date. Irma netminder Austin Prior faced 40 shots on goal in the period, while Stettler played both of their goalies, with a total of 33 shots from Irma. The best-of-five series will now return to Irma, for what could be the deciding game. If needed, play will go to Stettler on Saturday and Irma on Sunday.