On a night when both the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings and Queens were in action for the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s and women’s hockey championships, central Alberta flexed their muscles.
Both the clubs matched up against the NAIT Ooks out of Edmonton. The Queens pulled out an important 2-0 win on the road meanwhile the Kings were dominant in a 5-1 game at home.
In the Queen’s game, Red Deer notched both goals in the first two periods scored by Jailyn Bablitz and Arilyn Toews. In her first start of the playoffs, goaltender Tanya Disotell Dunsmore stood tall for a 22-save shutout.
On the men’s side, the Kings went into the third period up 2-0 after a pair of goals from Konrad Belcourt and Erik Miller. NAIT scored early in the final frame to cut into the lead but after that the Kings took control. The Kings scored three unanswered goals potted by Jacob Wozney, Dylan Esau, and Easton Haygarth.
Goaltender Arik Weersink stood on his head in a 30-save performance.
On Saturday both teams will be in game two action. The Queens will play at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre and the Kings will be at NAIT for a 6 p.m. puck drop.