LAC LA BICHE – First, they made it to the dance. Then, they spun their partners right out of the rink.
The Portage College Voyageurs continued their trailblazing ways this past weekend, besting the visiting Briercrest Clippers two games to one to take the best of three ACAC quarterfinal series. The last time the team made the playoffs was in the 2013- 2014 season. The recent wins mark the first time in school history the men’s hockey team has advanced to the semifinal round of the post-season.
“It’s awesome,” said Head Coach Kevin McClelland after the third game of the series on Sunday afternoon. “We’ve gotta give credit to the guys. They did it!”
Voyageurs captain Xavier Halterman, playing his fifth and final year with the team this season, says McClelland, a former NHL great who earned four Stanley Cup rings with the Edmonton Oilers, deserves a lot of the credit for the team’s plucky play.
“Macker’s built a great program for the past five years, and I’m just happy to help him lead a team to the second round. It’s been the goal every year,” says Halterman. “We come in trying to make it as far as we can and its nice to actually see it come to fruition.”
The playoff goal didn’t come easy, however, as fans who packed the Lac La Biche Bold Centre last Friday afternoon for the first game of the series didn’t have much to cheer about, as the Clippers charged to a 9-1 win.
Game 2 had to be better – and it was. The Voyageurs came back with the renewed vigour and determination that both Halterman and McClelland knew they had. The Voyageurs beat the Clippers 2-1, playing strong defence and getting just enough offence to send the series to the Game 3 tie-breaker on Sunday.
“Every guy knows that wasn’t our best game,” Halterman said of the Friday shellacking. “That isn’t our game. We know that we can beat Briercrest and we showed up Saturday with our backs against the wall and we played amazing. That’s what matters.”
Assistant Coach Pierre Sparklingeyes said the Friday game was a good reality check for the playoff-novice Voyageurs. Saturday’s game was proof the young team deserves to be at the playoff level.
“It was a lot our guys’ first time (in the playoffs), it’s a young team,” he said. “So they got a taste of it and they realized that they needed to step up. So coming into Game 2, we had to rise to the occasion, keep it simple and do our jobs throughout the lineup. And we played a good, hard game and were able to tie the series up.”
Sunday’s winner-take-all game was played in front of another large and enthusiastic home crowd cheering them on. The crowd roared as the Voyageurs came back from a 3-1 deficit in the second period to win their ticket the semifinals with a 7-3 victory.
“It’s a very resilient group and we couldn’t be prouder of them,” said Sparklingeyes after the clinching win on Sunday afternoon. “They worked hard and they got rewarded with the series win today.”
Their reward for such an impressive performance? A date with juggernaut, three-time defending champion Red Deer Polytechnic Kings this coming weekend. The Kings finished the ACAC regular season in first place had a bye in the first playoff round. While the Kings have waited, the Voyageurs have honed their plucky and determined brand of hockey.
Sparklingeyes says the Voyageurs are ready for the series, which kicks off in Red Deer on Friday night.
“We just gotta stay with it, stay focused on our job and our task at hand and go in there ready to go.”
Halterman believes if he and his teammates bring their ‘A’ game from the drop of the puck, they stand a pretty good chance of upsetting the champs.
“We just know that right from the beginning we have to be ready,” he said. “We’ve got to have our backs against the wall and play with the same urgency that we played the last two games. We can’t give them any free game or any free goals. If we work as 20 guys, (we’re) going to come out with a victory.”
Hockey Watch Party in the GYM
Due to ACAC guidelines for travel distances, all three games are scheduled to be played in Red Deer. But that won’t stop the cheering from Voyageurs supporters — Watch parties for the games will be held in the Lac La Biche Portage College campus. The parties are open to the community and will feature family-friendly activities, door prizes, raffles and a concession. The Portage College gymnasium will be decorated in Voyageurs theme as the game is played on the 12-foot big screen from the ACACtv livestream.
Rally events Thursday and Friday
Friday’s watch party will begin at 6:30 pm in the gymnasium for the 7 pm game. Saturday’s game time is 8 pm, and the Sunday game — if needed — will see the party starting in the gym prior to the 5 pm start.
Rally events are also planned at the Lac La Biche campus on Thursday at Noon in the Voyageur Grill. On Friday morning – at around 8:45 am – staff, students and community members are encouraged to line the sidewalk in front of the campus to cheer on the Voyageurs as their team bus heads down to Red Deer.
Voyageurs supporters are encouraged to bring their noisemakers, their Voyageurs shirts, hats, and banners … and their cheers for all the events.
*Full story by David Paul on Portage College Voyageurs website and ACAC website.