LAC LA BICHE – The Lac La Biche Lakers are on the path to potentially win a league championship in their first season with the National Junior Hockey League
The first two games of the league finals went in favour of the Lakers, who defeated the Crowsnest Crush on home ice March 21 and 22.
In the first match, the Lakers, who defeated the High Prairie Red Wings and Edson Eagles in the NJHL North Division playoffs to advance to the finals, handed a 7-0 defeat to the Crush.
Kaden Cardinal was responsible for five of the seven goals scored in the one-sided March 21 match against Crowsnest Pass. Cardinal acquired three of the goals in the first period, one in the second, and another in the third.
On March 22, the Lakers enjoyed a 7-2 win after an afternoon game that took place at Lac La Biche’s Bold Centre.
The Crush are the top team in the NJHL’s South Division.
On the evening of March 22, the Lakers also hosted the team’s awards banquet at the Fat Unicorn Tap and Grill.
With two home ice victories under their belts, the Lakers will be on the road on March 28 to take on the Crush in game three of the series finals, which is set to get underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Crowsnest Pass Sports Complex.
Game four of the series is scheduled for March 29 at 7:30 p.m. and game five is on March 30 at 3:30 p.m., also at the Crowsnest Pass Sports Complex.
The first two games of the final series went exceptionally well, according to head coach Gatlin Church. Scoring 14 goals in those first two games highlights the amount of firepower the team has.
“I was very surprised, to be honest. I thought Crowsnest would put up a little bit more of a fight,” Church told Lakeland This Week. “The individual play of Kaden Cardinal in game one was just phenomenal.”
As the Lakers prepare to make the journey to Crowsnest Pass this weekend for the next games in the finals, Church said there is a feeling of “100 per cent confidence” among the team.
“We’re very confident that we’ll end this series in three games,” he said.
