Regardless of an extended playoff format, the Lloydminster Xtreme were up to the task as they repeated as provincial champions on the August long weekend.
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The Xtreme did so in front of their hometown fans Sunday afternoon at the Hub’s Co-op Community Arena, defeating the Calgary Wranglers 12-5 to sweep the best-of-three Alberta junior B Tier 2 championship series.
Lloydminster won the opener 6-3 on Saturday. A third game, if necessary, would have been played on the holiday Monday.
The Alberta championship series was adopted this year in place of a single-game final, which in previous years capped a four-team provincial tournament.
That was the case last year when the Xtreme won provincials in Calgary.
Lloydminster coach Graham Murray, a strong proponent of the expanded playoff structure, believes it best determines a true provincial winner.
The Xtreme certainly felt that was the case Sunday as they celebrated back-to-back provincial titles.
XTREME 12 WRANGLERS 5: In what proved to be the deciding game, Lloyd led 5-2 after the first period and 11-5 following the second.
Rogan Macnab, the Xtreme’s top scorer, netted a goal and four assists. Jace Gunderson added two of each, while Teige Brown potted a goal and three assists.
Blake Sheppard, with three points, and 16-year-old call-up Ryder Plamondon each scored two goals for Lloydminster. Dagan Thiessen supplied a goal and two helpers. Tobin Dougan and captain Owen Hill each picked up a goal and an assist.
Marcus Morgan also tallied as the Xtreme received points from 13 players, including goaltender Jackson Bennett.
Lloyd connected three times on power plays, while Calgary collected two extra-strength goals.
Sam Matheos fired two goals and an assist for the Wranglers. Casey Pennoyer also netted a pair of tallies. Daniel Brown added a goal and an assist.
XTREME 6 WRANGLERS 3: Macnab and Gunderson, the Xtreme’s top two scorers this season, each scored two goals and two assists in the series-opening victory. Both of Gunderson’s goals — and one of Macnab’s — were power-play markers.
Sheppard added a goal and an assist. Lloydminster’s other tally came from Brady Gamble, who also is a member of the junior A Bobcats hockey team.
Dagan Thiessen contributed two assists.
Calgary’s goal-scorers were Pennoyer, Jackson Bardwell and Isaac Wong, with a power-play tally.
The teams were tied 2-2 after the first period. The Xtreme went up 4-3 in the second and they scored the only two goals of the third period.
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