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Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference "To be Canada's premiere collegiate athletic conference by developing and inspiring leadership through excellence in academics, sport and citizenship"
Posted: Feb 25, 2023

VOYAGEURS CLOSE OUT SEASON WITH HARD-FOUGHT LOSS

Box Score
Scoring Summary
1st - 18:38 - Colton Aikens (BC)
2nd - 08:34 - Tyrell Bourk (Portage)
3rd - 03:29 - Halen Cordoni (BC)
Game Leaders
BC
G: 2 Players (#5, #15) - 1
A: 4 Players (#3, #5, #15, #17) - 1
Sh: N/A
Sv: Dominik Tmej - 21
Portage
G: Tyrell Bourk - 1
A: N/A
Sh: N/A
Sv: Luke Hall - 39
Team Stats
Full stats

LAC LA BICHE – So close and yet so far. The Portage College Voyageurs wrapped up their 2022-23 ACAC hockey season by following a familiar script Saturday afternoon at the Bold Center: play pretty well defensively, get some great goaltending, generate several good scoring changes, hit a post or two, come back to make things interesting….but not be able to find the equalizer before the final buzzer.

 

Down 1-0 to the Briercrest Clippers early in the second period thanks to a goal from Player of the Game Colton Aikens, the Voyageurs battled back as they have all season, tying the game on a goal by Tyrell Bourk. Early in the third, they fell behind again on a marker from Halen Cordoni, but continued to generate several excellent scoring chances, including a goal-mouth scramble with about five minutes remaining in the entertaining contest.  But alas, as had happened six times previously this season, they fell one goal short.

 

"We were very competitive again," said Voyageurs Head Coach Kevin McClelland. "We've been in a lot of games like that and I thought we were going to tie it up in the end there.  We didn't but we had our opportunities on the power play but we didn't capitalize but they didn't capitalize neither so it was a pretty even game that way."

 

Luke Hall played a strong match in net for the Voyageurs, stopping 39 of 41 shots, and was named Player of the Game for his team. He was particularly busy in the first two periods, facing 31 shots and only allowing one goal. Meanwhile, the Voyageurs only generated 11 shots through the first two periods, including three in the second.

 

"Our second period, I don't think we shot the puck enough and I think that may have been our Achilles heel," said McClelland.

 

While the Clippers now head to the playoffs in a very competitive ACAC this year, the Voyageurs will hang up their skates until the fall. Looking back on the season, their head coach gave his troops credit for never giving up and for battling through injuries, scheduling conflicts and other hurdles that student-athletes face.

 

"We were in a lot of games and we went through a lot here with certain guys not coming on road trips for games and some injuries after (Spencer) Kennedy left…It all adds up," said McClelland.