For the first time since the 1993-94 season, the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings are Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s hockey champions.
On Friday night the Kings were back on top after defeating the NAIT Ooks 2-1 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Game 3 of the ACAC Men’s Hockey Championship.
A year ago the Kings were sent home in the quarterfinals but now can call themselves champions.
Head coach Trevor Keeper said it feels great.
“We probably had three-quarters of our team return and right from our opening meeting on day one we all had a common goal in mind,” Keeper said.
“They wanted this to happen and every week and every month they just kept pushing our group forward in every possible way and they got rewarded for it.”
The matchup on Friday was tight.
After a high-paced opening frame, neither team got on the scoreboard but just over two minutes into the period NAIT went up 1-0.
However, in the dying minutes of the second, Kings Holden Knights got the equalizer off the pass from Layne Toder.
In the third period, Erik Miller scored the game-winning goal to put the Kings up 2-1 just over a minute into the final frame.
“Miller’s a veteran guy. He comes through in clutch situations and it’s not surprising he got the game-winning goal,” Keeper added.
Speaking to Miller after the game he said winning the title feels amazing, especially after how their season ended last season.
“We worked our asses off and that last year helped build us and made us stronger,” Miller said.
“My goal felt great. It was a good stretch pass by Ty Ettinger on the backhand there and I just tried to make a move. Luckily it went in and I’m just happy we got the win.”
Kings goaltender Arik Weersink had a big game making 23 saves including many important stops in the third period.
Miller applauded his goaltender for not only his performance on Friday but for the whole series.
“I thought in both series he was probably our best player. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it and he played a great game today. I’m really proud of him,” Miller said.
On the women’s side, the RDP Queens were also crowned champions for the second consecutive year in a 2-1 win in overtime in Edmonton on Friday.
Forward Avery Lajeunesse scored the game-winning goal against the NAIT Ooks to sweep the best of five championship series.
Natalie Buttle was the other goal scorer for the Queens and goaltender Tanya Disotell-Dunsmore, who was named player of the game, made 30 saves in the effort.
