OUTLOOK - The Outlook Ice Hawks are the newest Provincial Senior 'B' Champions, besting the Kindersley Klippers in a fiercely dramatic final game on Monday night, March 28 at the Jim Kook Rec Plex in front of a colossal crowd that packed the arena tight.
In the third and final game, things were so tense that fans of either side sat on pins and needles with every move the players made. Try as he did multiple times, Ice Hawks #4 Logan Stephenson couldn't get past the Klippers goalie in the first period.
At the 12:20 mark, Outlook #13 Luke Nukwama made a great breakaway attempt that was stopped by a determined Kindersley goalie, #33 Luke Sproule.
By the time the buzzer sounded to end the first, no one was on the board yet, speaking to how intense the gameplay was on this night as every goal could make all the difference.
In the second, it would be the Klippers who would get on the board first, with a goal scored at the 17:40 mark by #18 Kylar Hope. Even though it was still quite early in the game, if you listened closely, you could almost feel some of the air being sucked out of the Rec Plex at that moment by Outlook fans who were hoping for their intended outcome.
As it happened, Outlook did get on the board at the 8:13 mark, erupting in thunderous cheers when #5 Logan Pyett sunk one in. Things stayed at that matched level of one goal apiece as time ran out in the second period.
The Ice Hawks showed that they came to play when the third got underway, as #25 Shay Stephenson slapped one in to give the Hawks the lead just 31 seconds into the final chunk of time. As the minutes ticked away, Kindersley staved off what Outlook was bringing to them, but that would soon give away at 11:11 as the Ice Hawks scored their third and final goal of this game and the season, with a shot made by #2 Jordan Johnston.
That would be all the scoring done in this game as the clock ran out, with the rink packed with hometown Ice Hawks fans going ballistic as the team had claimed the provincial title. Helmets flew off, fans took to the ice, photos were taken, tears were shed, and hockey fans in Outlook are certainly going to remember where they were on this night. The final score of the game was 3-1.
Coached by Bob Stephenson and Randy Holmlund, trained by Reg Johnson and managed by Royce Taylor, the Outlook Ice Hawks are comprised of Jordan Johnston, Jordy Jones, Logan Stephenson, Logan Pyett, Justin Verwimp, Kyle Ireland, Mitch Brenner, Billy Trarback, Dallan Walker, Jared Jagow, Luke Nukwama, Rin Beny, Tim Spencer, Shay Stephenson, Daniel Erlandson, Ryan Keller, Josh Verwimp, Ryan Husband, Robert Solnicka, Steven Lee, Beau Stewart, Alec Neiman, Brendan Plant, and Blair Debuin.
