The Kings score five goals and Weersink stops 30 in Game 1 of the finals

Red Deer, March 17, 2023 – The Red Deer Kings were firing on all cylinders as they scored five goals, three of which came in the third period, as they go up 1-0 in the series against the NAIT Ooks.

It was definitely a playoff-like atmosphere with it being a tight-checking game to open up Game 1 of this championship final series. With under three minutes to go in the opening frame, the Kings were awarded a four-minute powerplay as the Ooks were called for spearing and they would capitalize on it with 25 seconds to go in the opening frame.

Forward Chance Longjohn (Bachelor of Education) fed a direct pass to defenseman Konrad Belcourt (Bachelor of Kinesiology) on the other side of the net, who would one-time the puck on one knee into the back of the net to take the early lead. The hometown Kings outshot NAIT 15-7 in the first period and would have just over a minute left on their four-minute man advantage.

Just after the penalty expired and moments into the second period, forward Erik Miller (Business Administration) would tip home a shot from his teammate Nolan Doell (Bachelor of Education) to extend the Kings lead to two.

This was the only goal scored in the second period with the Kings continuing to outshoot the Ooks 26-17.

NAIT would cut the Polytechnic's lead in half three minutes into the third period. But it took multiple tries for forward Dylan Stewart (Open Studies) and his team to put it into the back of the net as Belcourt and fellow defenseman Layne Toder (Management Certificate Skywing) bailed their goaltender out by coming up with a couple of huge blocks to keep the puck out of the net. On the third attempt, Stewart was able to put his team within one goal of the Kings.

However, 20 seconds later, the Kings would answer right back with a breakaway goal from forward Jacob Wozney (Bachelor of Education) to regain his team's two-goal lead.

The Kings would continue to forecheck in the Ooks zone which led to a goal from forward Dylan Esau (Business Diploma) that started with a beautiful no-look pass from his teammate Deegan Mofford (Open Studies) off the end boards.

The goals kept coming from Red Deer as forward Easton Haygarth would add his name to the scoresheet after finishing off a tic-tac-toe play.

The Kings would take Game 1 with a final score of 5-1 as goaltender Arik Weersink (Bachelor of Business Administration) stopped 30 of the 31 shots on goal for his third win of the playoffs.

With the lone goal for his team forward, Dylan Stewart was named the player of the game for the Ooks and goaltender Arik Weersink picked up the honour for the Kings.

Game 2 will go tomorrow night at 6 pm in Edmonton.