By Stephen Moore and Jordan Bay

Ontario crushes Alberta in hockey semifinals

Feb 21, 2019 | 10:41 PM

Alberta will play for bronze in men’s hockey at the 2019 Canada Winter Games after a crushing 8-4 loss to Ontario in semifinals action Thursday night at the Centrium.

It was a rematch of the gold medal game from the 2015 Canada Winter Games where Ontario also prevailed.

Ontario came out strong and took the lead just 1:21 into the game courtesy of Mason McTavish. With just 1:40 remaining in the first, Brandt Clarke saw his shot from the point beat Alberta goalie Drew Sim for a 2-0 lead.

In the second, the floodgates opened for Ontario with two goals from Brennan Othmann, paired with tallies from Connor Lockhart and Ethan Larmand for a 6-0 lead through 40 minutes.

Team Alberta finally found the back of the Ontario net 1:50 into the final frame as Zack Ostapchuk scored on a power play. Shortly after, again on the power play, Colton Dach scored and Alberta had some momentum. Red Deer Rebels prospect Jayden Grubbe had a helper on the Dach goal.

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Less than two minutes after that, with Alberta on its third power play of the period, Matt Savoie fired a shot from the blue line that seemed to have eyes as it found its way into the back of the Ontario net, and it was 6-3.

Then with 10:17 left in the game, Tyson Laventure got into the scoring frenzy for Alberta, and it was a new game at 6-4.

“It was just belief. Just believe in ourselves, believe in our teammates and try to make a push,” said Grubbe about Alberta’s third period push.

However, an offensive zone turnover for Alberta let the puck fall to Ontario captain Shane Write, and he sprung Liam Arnaby on a breakaway, and he want five hole on Drew Sim to put Ontario back up by three.

Brennan Othmann spoke on the vibe of the third period for Ontario.

“In the third period we gave up four goals so I was getting nervous on the bench but we ended up getting two goals in the third period which gave us more of a lead so it was good.”

Ontario took a key timeout after the Alberta push which calmed them down.

“A buddy of mine from my club team called a timeout and he got us settled down-Clarkie- and he told us not to get worried we got this game and we just settled down, we got into it and we scored right after that and we got the lead back so it was good,” says Othmann.

Arnaby would add a shorthanded goal later in the period, killing Alberta’s momentum and allowing Ontario to hold on the 8-4 lead until the final buzzer.

Alberta’s opponent in the bronze medal game will be Saskatchewan who beat Alberta in overtime earlier in the tournament.

Grubbe explained what the game plan is going in.

“We just want to try and medal. That’s all we want to do is try to get out of here with a medal and come out here with a win and just feel a lot better.”

Ontario will play Quebec for gold. Quebec got the best of Ontario with a 7-3 victory in the preliminary round.

“The result last time wasn’t the way we wanted it to be but the result this time I think is going to be better,” says Othmann. “We just need to make the changes, not take any stupid penalties and we just need to get back to our game.”

The bronze medal game is Friday at 4p.m. and the gold medal game will be at 7:30 p.m. both at the Centrium.