ELK POINT - This past Saturday was declared Pink Day at the A.G. Ross Arena. This is an annual event that has been held for the past three years.
All proceeds from the 50/50's and raffle table that day was to be donated to a local cancer victim. This year, proceeds are going to the Ockerman family for one of the Avalanche alumni, Ryan Ockerman.
Every one of the six Avalanche teams played a home game that day. Starting with the U7s who hosted the St. Paul Canadiens at 8:30 a.m., followed by the U9s, who hosted the Vermilion Tigers at 10 a.m.
Then at 11:45 am, the U 11 Avalanche team, a team that includes Ryan’s son Damian, hosted the Mallaig Monarchs, who they had defeated in the Bonnyville tournament final for the gold medal only two weeks ago. The Monarchs came prepared with a game plan to shut down the Avalanche attack at the blue line. The Monarchs won 7-1 over the Avalanche.
Cohen 'Big Horn' Brousseau scored the only goal for the Avalanche, Aspyn ‘Machine Gun' Kelly with the assist. Avalanche goalie ‘Benny Boy’ Saddleback was very busy facing 50 shots.
Next up, the U13 Avalanche took on the league-leading Hughenden Jets. Once again this was a team the Avalanche had defeated earlier in the season in their barn. The Jets came out flying high and fired 51 shots on goalie 'Major Tom' Melnyk. Big winger 'Fearless Frank' Killiam scored the lone goal for the Avalanche, assisted by the hard-working Hunter 'Hardrock' Pankiw.
There seems to be a pattern here.
The U15s faced the top team in their league as well, the Provost Blades. This game came right down to the wire, the Blades edging out our Avalanche 6-5. A strong game for Remington 'Steel' Reynolds, who scored two goals and assisted on one other, solid defenseman 'Wild Wyatt' Fontaine wheeling and dealing with a couple of goals, Tristan 'Bobcat' Brousseau tapping in a goal and adding an assist. Dewberry products Grayson 'Slim' Skakum and Cade 'Easy Money' Elliot each added an assist. Big power forward Jaxon 'Magic' Marcoux was also on the score sheet with an assist. Goalie Owen 'Ollie the Goalie' Grykuliak faced 31 shots.
On to the nightcap for a 7:30 p.m. start, the U18 Avalanche team hosted the Smoky Lake North Stars. The Avalanche would battle hard and firing, going down 4-2 to the North Stars. The fourth goal was scored into an empty net when the Avalanche pulled goalie Drayden 'the Wall' Skakum in the final minute for the extra attacker and it backfired. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Gavin 'Greenlight' Kadutski and Evett 'Snoop Dog' Smereka scored for the Avalanche. Brendan 'Buzz Saw' Kadutski, Kaleb 'Formula One' Flamand, 'Top Gunner' Crawford and Braylee 'Free Willy' Lesyk had the assists.
The competition was tough for all of the home teams, but in the end of the day everyone was a winner.
Pink Day also got some extra help from a seventh local team, the Elk Point Elks, who, although they lost their final home game of the regular season to Kitscoty Monarchs on Friday night by a narrow 6-5 score, also donated the game’s $245 in 50/50 receipts toward the fundraiser.
Elk Point Minor Hockey is pleased to report that they raised a total of $4,628.
