The Grande Prairie Storm are moving on after sweeping the Lloydminster Bobcats in the first round of the AJHL playoffs.
The series kicked off with a dominating 7-3 blowout in the Storm’s favour at Bonnetts Energy Centre in front of a crowd of more than 1,700. Storm forward Colin Doherty stood out, scoring twice, picking up an assist, and earning himself the home team star of the game.
The following evening, the boys put on a clinic on home ice during an 8-2 slugfest at Bonnetts Energy Centre. The teams finished the first period at 1-1 before the Bobcats held onto a 2-1 lead for the majority of the second. Will Harris’ goal around the eleven-minute mark shifted the tides, and the Storm ended up scoring seven unanswered by the time it was all said and done.
Not to be outpaced at home, the Bobcats prioritized tight defence in game three, keeping the game at 0-0 until late in the second, when the Storm’s Alec Hall capitalized on a powerplay opportunity. Bobcats forward Kade Fendelet tied it up early in the third, but another powerplay chance led to the deciding goal for the Storm’s Zachary Wilson, ending the game 2-1 in favour of GP.
The series came to a nail-biting finish in Lloydminster. The Storm led for most of game four, but a late third-period goal from Lloydminster’s Kade Fendelet brought it to overtime. Both teams looked good defensively; however, Storm offensive powerhouse Tomis Marinkovic snuck his fourth post-season goal past the Bobcats, finishing the game 4-3 for the Swan City.
The series win secures the Storm a spot in the second round- which team they will play is still up for debate.
