Unforgettable game seven slugfest between Wolverines and Eagles leads to tough start against Calgary Canucks in the AJHL Finals

As any die-hard sports fan knows, sudden death thresholds are both exciting and nerve-
wracking. Whitecourt Wolverines and Canmore Eagles fans felt that roller coaster rush last
week as their second-round playoff battle extended to game seven, making for an exciting yet
highly stressful final game.
With 700 fans in the stands at JDA Place, the second-highest crowd size of the playoffs and
third-highest for the season, the intensity and the volume were up. In the first period, Canmore
took a quick lead when a casual shot toward the net trickled in for an unassisted goal, surprising
everyone.
In the second period, the Wolverines bounced back, with the tying goal and eventual game-
winner coming within four minutes of each other, both on the man advantage. Travis Verbeek, a
playoff powerhouse, scored his seventh of the playoffs, with assists from Matthew Ronn and
Braden Keeble (his seventh assist).
Joey Melo scored his third of the playoffs, with assists from Evan Johnson and Matthew Ronn
(his sixth assist), giving the Wolverines the lead 2-1. Things got rowdy as the Canmore Eagles,
with their season on the line, tried everything they could to get back into the game. The Eagles
took three penalties and got lucky on several occasions where they probably should’ve been
penalized, or so said the Wolverine faithful in the stands.
In the third period, with a one-goal lead, Whitecourt’s Wolverines needed to hold on. The
intensity was amplified as both teams knew this was it. Only one team was moving forward from
the game, and the other was off to the golf course, as they say. There were big hits, scrums
following whistles, and lots of shots on the net.
Earlier in the game, the Wolverines held a wide gap for shots on goal, outshooting the Eagles
by double digits. By the end of the game, the gap had all but disappeared, with the Wolverines
edging the Eagles by only three shots, 35-32. Nearly fifteen minutes in, Travis Verbeek scored
his second of the game, eighth of the playoffs, assisted by Braden Keeble and Joey Melo,
making it 3-1.
With their goalie on the bench, the Eagles pushed hard, trying to get pucks into the net to keep
their playoff dreams alive. A couple of close calls left fans standing up in their seats to see the
action on the far side of the ice. The Wolverines had two big breakaways, during which they
attempted to land a puck in the empty net, with one sliding just wide and another bouncing off
the goalpost. It was wild!
The Wolverines took the win 3-1, ending the series against the Canmore Eagles and moving on
to the finals against the Calgary Canucks. The Wolverines and Canucks had not met in playoff
action before. On Friday, April 12, they had their first opportunity to line up against each other
for the first game in their best-of-seven series.
The Calgary Canucks finished the regular season in third place, one point behind the second-
place Lloydminster Bobcats and eight points behind the first-place Wolverines. The two teams

split their four regular-season games against each other, with two apiece, so this series would
likely be evenly matched and tough.
Just over four minutes into the game, Calgary got on the board first. The Wolverines retaliated
six minutes later, making it a tied affair, 1-1, thanks to a powerplay marker from Braden Keeble,
assisted by Travis Verbeek and Spencer Rheaume (his ninth). The second period featured no
scoring and only one penalty, a tripping call against Calgary. In the third period, things opened
up, but not in the way the Wolverines fans wanted. Calgary scored four unanswered goals, all at
even strength, winning the game 5-1.
Putting the previous night’s loss firmly in the rearview mirror and focusing on game two, the
Whitecourt Wolverines laced up their skates on Saturday night, hoping for a better result. In the
first period, the Wolverines came out swinging with a few big hits and hard pushes into the
Canuck’s zone. Neither team scored goals despite the effort, leaving them knotted at 0-0 after
twenty minutes.
In the second period, the Canucks lit up the scoreboard, similar to the night before. Three
unanswered goals bewildered fans and players alike. Unable to answer back, the period ended
with a goose egg for the Wolverines and three eggs in the Canuck’s basket.
In the game’s final twenty minutes, the Wolverines managed to land two big goals, giving them
much-needed momentum. Unfortunately, the push stopped at two goals, and the Canucks
succeeded in extending their lead to five goals. Though hard-fought, the Wolverines dropped
game two in a similar fashion to game one, with Calgary getting five goals past the Wolverine’s
goalie.
Whitecourt’s team will face the Canucks on Calgary’s turf for game three on Tuesday, April 16
and game four on Wednesday, April 17. If the Wolverines can snag a win in one of those two
games (get both, boys!), then game five will be back at JDA Place on Saturday, April 20. Let’s
go, Wolverines!