The Sylvan Lake Wranglers have secured a playoff spot after Sunday night’s final game of the regular season.
The Wranglers met the Mountainview Colts on home ice Sunday evening, and came from behind to win the game.
It was a slow start for the Wranglers, as all nine of their shots on net in the first period were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the Colts were able to send the puck to the back of the net after five minutes of play in the first period.
The second period saw the Wranglers pick up a bit of momentum.
Two minutes after hitting the ice in the middle frame, the Wranglers wee on the score board.
Wrangler Caileb Berge found the back of the net off a feed from Dylan Scheunert and Beaudon Rider.
Four minutes later the Colts pulled a head with another success attempt on the net.
While both teams skated fast and hard, neither were able to find another opening. With one period left to play the Colts lead 2-1.
It was in the final period where the Wranglers shone, and showed they meant business.
It took 11-and-a-half minutes for Kody Wold to take hold of the puck and send it sailing into the net. The unassisted goal tied the game at two-all.
Less than 30 seconds later the Wranglers took the lead with a shot from Kyle Richmond, with the assists by Zane Bennett and Sloan Garritty.
For the first time in the game the Wranglers had the lead. However, that did not last too long.
Roughly two minutes after Richmond put the Wranglers ahead, the Colts came back to tie the game; 3-3.
Thirty-nine seconds was all it took for the Wranglers to take the lead once and for all.
Beaudon Rider, assisted by Richmound, scored the Wranglers fourth goal of the game and secured the win for the home team.
With Feb. 9 being the last game of the regular season for the Wranglers, the team held a brief “graduation ceremony” for two of its players leaving the junior b program.
Zane Bennett and Taite Opdendries were both recognized for their years of dedication to the hockey program. At age 21, both young men have aged out of the junior b hockey program.
In third place in the northern division of the Heritage Junior Hockey League the Wranglers have earned a spot in the playoffs.
The Wranglers will face the Rocky Rams in a best-of-five series which begins Feb. 11 at the NexSource Centre. the puck drops for Game One at 8:15 p.m.
