Red Deer Vipers win
Heritage League North
Division Final in seven games
The Red Deer Vipers grabbed a thrilling victory on the road Saturday to win their best-of-seven series with the Mountainview Colts.
The 5-3 win clinched the Heritage Junior B Hockey League North Division final for Red Deer and sets them up for a league final matchup with Cochrane. The win also locks Red Deer into a spot at the Alberta Junior B Hockey Provincials.
Brandon Bilodeau was huge in net for the Vipers with 40 saves in the win, including a penalty shot stop late in the third.
Red Deer trailed 2-1 early in the second before they broke out for three unanswered goals that powered them to victory.
Brett Hoppus tied the game at two, before Lane Sim scored to give Red Deer the lead and Bailey Lawson added what turned out to be the game-winning goal late in the second.
Spencer Yeats scored the first Vipers’ goal early in period.
Hoppus scored his second of the night late in the third to seal the win.
Game one of the HJHL final goes Tuesday in Cochrane with the second in Red Deer on March 18 at the Collicutt.
Olds Grizzlys advance to AJHL playoffs
The Olds Grizzlys pulled off a remarkable feat on the weekend to sweep the Canmore Eagles in the first round of the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs.
The Grizzlys won game three of the best-of-five series Sunday night in Olds 4-3 in overtime to complete the upset.
Canmore finished second in the AJHL south division with 36 wins and 78 points.
In contrast, the Grizzlys had 17 wins in 60 games and finished the year seventh with 41 points.
Ty Thompson opened the scoring for Olds just three minutes into the game before Canmore tied it at one late in the first.
The Eagles scored twice in the second by Olds answered with two goals in the third by Chase Olsen and Thompson.
Landon Gross was the overtime hero at 15:48 of the extra frame.
Ben Geisbrecht made 50 saves for Olds in the victory.
Olds will lineup against the Brooks Bandits on March 17 in round two of the AJHL playoffs.
Lindsay Thurber Raiders earn double silver in junior high basketball
championships
Lindsay Thurber High School fell just short in both the girls and boys final earning silver medals while hosting the 3J Central Western Alberta Junior High Athletics Association basketball championships on the weekend.
Hunting Hills Lightning took gold on the boys side with 47-35 win over the Raiders.
On the girls side, St. Thomas beat Lindsay Thurber 49-42 in the final.
The Lacombe Rams beat Hunting Hills 44-40 in the third place girls game.
In a high-scoring affair for third place on the boys side, St. Francis brought home a 75-70 win over Saint Patrick’s.