CARONPORT -- The Red Deer Kings will heading home in the driver’s seat in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s hockey championship final with the Briercrest College Clippers
The Kings won two of three games at Barkman Arena in Caronport over the weekend to take a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five series, with Games 4 and 5 in Red Deer next weekend.
Red Deer won the opener 3-2 in double overtime Friday before Briercrest rebounded with a 5-0 win Saturday. The Kings then regained the series lead with a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon.
Red Deer 3, Briercrest 2
The two teams found themselves in a back-and-forth battle in Game 1, with neither team able to pull away as the contest progressed.
Austin Arsenault opened scoring for Briercrest 6:07 into the game, but Red Deer would take advantage of their second power play of the evening to tie things up. Holden Knights scored for the Kings with 7:47 to play in the opening frame, and the teams would leave the first tied 1-1.
After a scoreless second period, Alex Bernauer gave Red Deer the lead with 7:22 gone in the third, but Lucas Lapalm would tie things up just over four minutes later, eventually sending the game into overtime.
Nothing was solved in the first extra period, but Nolan Doell would emerge as the hero for Red Deer, scoring the game-winner at the 11:17 mark of double overtime.
Domink Tmej had 57 saves for the Clippers, Kristian Lyon turned aside 60 shots for the Kings.
Briercrest 5, Red Deer 0
The Clippers didn’t leave anything to chance in Game 2, and that would lead to Tmej recording a 45-shutout to even the series at a game apiece.
Colton Aikens opened scoring in the contest at 8:16 of the first, and Campbell Ens made it a 2-0 game heading into the break after scoring at the 13:14 mark.
A Brandon Kelly shorthanded goal gave Briercrest a three-goal lead 2:37 into the second before Aikens scored his second of the game with a minute remaining in the period, making it 4-0 Clippers through two.
Keegan Little and Ethan Lindsay had two assists each for Briercrest.
Regan Poncelet then finished off scoring with the lone goal of the third at 11:54.
Lyon stopped 25 shots through 40 minutes for Red Deer, Evan Fradette had six saves in the third.
Red Deer 2, Briercrest 1
The Kings got on the board first when Deegan Mofford scored on the power play with 5:17 remaining in the opening period, giving Red Deer a 1-0 lead after the first.
Little would get that one back for Briercrest with 17:14 gone in the second, and the two teams would go into the third tied 1-1.
There, Doell once again came through for the Kings, scoring what would stand as the game winner with 6:54 remaining in regulation.
Tmej finished with 34 saves, Lyon stopped 37.
Game 4 goes Friday at 7 p.m. in Red Deer, with the fifth game, if necessary, set for 5 p.m. on Saturday.
