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Red Deer College Kings ready for first round series against University of Alberta, Augustana Vikings

Kings 2 Vikings 1
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Kings 2 Vikings 1

PENHOLD — The RDC Kings are ready for the playoffs.

The Kings will face the University of Alberta, Augustana Vikings in the best-of three Alberta Colleges Men’s Hockey League quarter-finals in two weeks and they’ll go in riding a high.

The Kings met the Vikings in a home-and-home weekend series and came away with three points — losing 3-2 in overtime Friday in Camrose and recording a 2-1 victory at the Penhold Regional Multiplex Saturday.

“The guys played hard tonight. I was happy with the effort and we played a playoff brand of hockey,” said Kings head coach Trevor Keeper, who was playing without team scoring leader Tyler Berkholtz,

“We were without Tyler but Scott Ferguson really stepped up. “

Ferguson was moved onto the top line and he scored once and helped set up the game winner by Riley Simpson.

Ferguson gave the Kings a 1-0 lead with a power play marker at 5:11 of the first period. Cody Fiala tied the score for the Vikings, also on the power play at 18:39 of the opening period, but Simpson notched his own power play goal at 4:08 of the middle stanza. From then on the game was in the hands of the goalies with Mike Salmon shutting the door for RDC, finishing with 22 saves. The Kings had 33 shots on Curtis Skip.

“The players are paying attention to the details of the game and what we are doing in practice is paying off in the games,” said Keeper. “There’s a good vibe in the dressing room.”

The Kings, 11-11-3-1, finish league play against Concordia Friday in Edmonton and Saturday at home.