All at the same time, overtime hero Claudia Lammers of the Lakeland Rustlers exhibited both the glory and pain of victory Sunday night in a college hockey championship game for the ages.
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“Oh, I’m very sore,” Lammers said during the pandemonium on home ice as the Rustlers and their legion of fans celebrated a momentous 1-0 double-OT win over the Red Deer Queens in the fifth and deciding game of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship.
“Blocked a few shots and got a few bruises on my body, so it was a tough battle. But I’m going to take a good rest this week.”
The Rustlers performed more than a week’s worth of work in one weekend, as they won three straight must-win games in as many days to repeat as the ACAC champions. The crowning moment came Sunday in Lloydminster in their new rink, the Co-op Community Arena, which mirrored an old-time hockey atmosphere with an enthusiastic capacity crowd and noise levels that rivalled the weekend powwow next door at the Hub’s primary facility.
Lammers triggered the most noise when she put the puck past Red Deer’s small-but-mighty goaltender, Tora Ward, who seemed unbeatable all night as she blocked 42 shots. The winning goal at 5:37 of the second overtime period came during a Lakeland power play, after the Queens’ Arilyn Toews gave Rustlers goalie Schay Camphaug a snow shower and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“It happened so fast,” said Lammers, one of the six Rustlers moving on to other endeavours beyond this season. “I was just below the hash marks, almost in the crease.
“I felt the puck on my stick, and it went in. I tipped it and it was just really slowly going over that (goal) line. I saw it go by and I was, like, ‘Hell, yeah.’ ”
The Rustlers more than doubled the Queens in shots (43-20), including a 9-3 margin in the first overtime. But, make no mistake, both teams were within a whisker of winning the gold-medal game.
“Even despite the shots, it totally could have gone either way.” Lammers agreed. “Red Deer is really gritty. They really battle. They’re tough and they’re not afraid to throw the body out there, so that’s kind of tough for us.”
The Rustlers were up to the task, and they didn’t suffer the penalty trouble that dogged the Queens. Red Deer received eight minor penalties, while Lakeland was tagged with four. Most notably, the visitors served a penalty in each of the final three periods, and the hosts stayed out of the box during that time.
It was an ideal ending for the Rustlers, and especially for the graduating players like Lammers.
“This is all that I wanted for my final season, just to hold up that Cup one more time and get that gold medal,” the Outlook, Sask., native said after posing for pictures with family members and her boyfriend.
“I’ve applied to go to (University of Saskatchewan) next year to finish my commerce degree. I’m going to play in the U22 league next year, and hopefully senior after that. So, I’m not done hockey. I’m just done with my time here at Lakeland.”
At the same time, Lakeland life has just begun for first-year Rustlers like hometown forward Ryann Rekimowich, beaming with excitement Sunday as she hugged her grandparents.
Lakeland Rustlers. John MacNeil Meridian Source
The ACAC final marked the second time in less than a year that Rekimowich has played in a major championship in her backyard. Last year, she captained the host Lloydminster Steelers in the Esso Cup U18 girls’ national championship at the Centennial Civic Centre. In the semifinals, the Steelers lost 1-0 in overtime to the eventual-champion Edmonton Junior Oilers.
“It’s hard to compare the two events, because both atmospheres were electric,” Rekimowich said. “We had the stands full for both. We have such a good community that supports us, so it was nice to see everyone come out for Esso Cup and this (ACAC championship).”
Rekimowich’s teammates with those Steelers included fellow college rookies Ashlyn Hinton of the Rustlers and Natalie Tychkowsky of the Queens.
After sitting out Friday’s home game, a 3-1 Lakeland victory, Rekimowich dressed for the Rustlers’ 5-1 win Saturday and the five-period marathon Sunday.
“For sure, I felt like I had a little more gas,” she said. “I feel like everyone had a little more gas, though, just with the atmosphere. Everyone gave it that extra, just with how supportive the crowd was.”
That crowd included many young fans, some of them minor hockey girls inspired by the Rustlers — and the Queens.
“We coached four camps this year, and we went out to a couple of practices, giving back to our community,” said Rekimowich, who turns 19 in May. “Many of the participants in those camps were a big part of our crowd tonight and throughout the season.”
Fresh-faced Rustlers like Rekimowich have role models, too, within their own dressing room. One of them is ACAC scoring champion Keyra Buziak, who was named the most valuable player in the playoffs and the regular season.
“Keyra is my stallmate, so I’ve very much looked up to her,” Rekimowich said. “She’s so positive in the room, always giving feedback. She’s a leader on the ice. She has great hands and skill.”
Buziak tallied twice in Saturday’s victory at Red Deer. Addison Eurich scored a goal and two assists, while Ava Cole and Alyssa Shaw had one of each.
Queens captain Kaedence Mollin netted the lone goal against Camphaug, who made 23 saves. The Rustlers directed 35 shots at Ward and her third-period replacement, Elizabeth Campbell.
At home Friday, Buziak’s two power-play goals were the difference in Lakeland’s first season-saving victory. Eurich opened the scoring. Red Deer’s goal came off the stick of Hannah Lundquist. Camphaug, a first-year Rustler with NCAA experience, recorded 23 saves, four more than Ward.
On the previous weekend, Red Deer prevailed 2-1 in overtime at home and away to take a 2-0 series lead.
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