Don’t look now, but the Bricrest College Clippers are the hottest team in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s hockey league.
The Clippers posted a pair of wins over the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder at the Barkman Arena this past weekend, taking a 5-2 victory on Friday and battling to a 6-5 double overtime win in the rematch Saturday.
The victories saw Briercrest improve to 7-7 and move into fourth place in the parity-filled league, a point back of University of Alberta Augustana for third and a point ahead of NAIT and Concordia.
Just as impressively, the Clippers have won three straight and have the longest winning streak in ACAC play heading into the coming weekend.
Jaedon Little had a pair of second-period goals in the opening game as the Clippers built a 4-1 lead through two periods and never looked back.
Trey Doell, Caleb Grandfield and Campbell Enns had the other markers for Briercrest, who led 2-0 after the opening period.
Dominik Tmej was his usual solid self in goal, turning aside 29 shots to earn the win.
Things were far different a day later, as the Clippers needed a third-period rally to overcome the Thunder and eventually win in overtime.
And to say things were exciting in the final frame would be an understatement.
Trailing 5-3 heading into the third, Jake Dale got the Clippers within one at 6:21, and there things would remain until Regan Poncelet scored the tying goal with five seconds to play in regulation and Tmej on the bench.
Daine Milgate then finished things off, scoring on the power play with 1:39 remaining in the second overtime period.
Halen Cardoni had power-play goals in the first for Briercrest, Doell had their lone marker in the second.
Tmej finished with 34 saves in the win.
The Clipper men’s volleyball team got back on the winning track in their lone game of the weekend, taking a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-20) victory over the University Alberta Augustana Vikings at Margaret P. Reimer gymnasium.
Karym Coleman led Briercrest with seven kills and six digs, while Noah Dirsten added six kills. Judah Matthies had a solid game at the service line, putting down seven aces. Setter Jeremy Martens had 23 assists.
The Clippers are now 6-5 on the season and sit in fourth place in the ACAC South Division.
The news wasn’t as good for the Clippers women's volleyball team, as they’d fall 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-11, 25-19) to Augustana on Saturday.
Faith Buhler led Briercest with seven kills, while Moose Jaw’s Summer Okerstrom was a starter for the Clippers and had a pair of kills to go along with a team-leading four serve aces. Kacey De Jong led the defence with seven digs. Jess Zacharias had three aces and 23 assists.
The Clippers fell to 4-7 and are in sixth place in the ACAC South.
It was a tough weekend for the men’s basketball squad, as they dropped a 104-73 decision on Friday and fell 82-68 in the rematch Saturday to the Red Deer Kings in Red Deer.
Central grad Riley Seaborn continued his solid season, putting up 18 points to lead the Clippers offence in the opener. Oroma Bongomin also had 18 points, while Moose Jaw’s Danny Muillens had a solid game of his own with 15 and Matthew Bryant added 11. Clippers rookie and former Cyclone Kaedyn Banilevic saw his most playing time this season but was held off the scoreboard.
One day later, Banilevic had the best game of his ACAC career, putting up eight points and seeing 25 minutes of court time. Brolin Simes led the Clippers with 13 points, while Mullens had 12 and Seaborn 11.
The Clippers are now 1-11 on the season and are tied for seventh in the South.
Things were a touch closer for the Clippers women’s basketball team, but they’d also drop a pair in Red Deer, falling 78-65 Friday and 83-71 Saturday.
A slow start hurt Briercrest in their opener, as they trailed 44-43 at the half but were nearly even with the Queens the rest of the way. Brooklyn Martens led the offence with 22 points, while Amber Fichtner picked up 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Red Deer only led by three after the first quarter on Saturday, but pulled away for a 54-43 lead at half and hung on the remainder of the contest. Martens had a 20-point outing, Fichtner picked up where she left off with 19 points and 18 rebounds. Maddison Beattie added 12 points off the bench.
League action across all sports continues this coming weekend.
The basketball teams are the lone Clippers crews at home, as they host the Medicine Hat Rattlers on Friday and Saturday. Moose Jaw’s Nylah Seaborn is a member of the Rattlers women’s team.
Men’s hockey travels to Augustana, men’s and women’s volleyball are in Medicine Hat.
