U-18 off to playoff final

By Rob Vogt
The Claresholm Under-18 Thunder have punched their ticket to the Central Alberta Hockey League Tier-3 Silver Division final with a pair of wins on the weekend.
The Thunder faced the Picture Blades in a two-game, total-goal series, beginning on Friday night, Feb. 27 at Claresholm Arena.
Claresholm jumped all over the Blades in the first period, leading 2-0 after 20 minutes on the strength of goals from Jace Flitton, assisted by Ryan Van Langen and Cody Tompkins; and Jace Campbell, assisted by Carson Ring and Grady Smith.
Picture Butte responded with the lone goal of the second period to cut Claresholm’s lead to 2-1 after two periods.
The Blades continued that momentum into the third period tying the game with just over 13 minutes to play.
However, Claresholm responded with three unanswered goals to skate away with the 5-2 win.
Scoring for the Thunder were Flitton, on the power play, assisted by Seannon Ocampo; Ocampo, also on the power play, assisted by Kalob Dallyn and Ty McLean; and Grayden Desjarlais, assisted by Campbell and Johnny Fletcher.
Goaltender Finn Buhmiller made 19 saves for the win.
The result gave Claresholm a three-goal lead meaning that even if they lost Game 2 by less than three goals they would win the series.
That didn’t happen.
Game 2 was in Picture Butte on Sunday, March 1, and the Blades came to play.
They jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Jace Flitton got Claresholm on the board with a power play goal, assisted by Ryan Van Langen and Cody Tompkins. It cut the Blade lead to 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Josh Gibson-Morrison tied the game 2-2 with an unassisted goal 3.5 minutes into the second period, but the Blades responded with two straight goals to lead 4-2 going into the second intermission.
Flitton narrowed the gap to 4-3 with a goal just under four minutes into the third period, assisted by Gibson-Morrison, but Picture Butte responded nine minutes later re-establishing their two-goal lead.
However, that was as close as they would get.
Grayden Desjarlais scored just over a minute later, assisted by Austin Davies, to draw Claresholm to within one again at 5-4.
Then, in dramatic fashion, Van Langen tied the game 5-5 on the power play with 35 seconds left to play, assisted by Tompkins and Desjarlais.
Flitton then won it on the power play with just one second left on the clock, assisted by Kashtan Beutler.
Thunder win 6-5.
Buhmiller was again sharp in net, making 31 saves for the win.
The Thunder now advance to the championship final against Bow Island.
Game 1 hits the ice at Claresholm Arena on Friday, March 6 at 7:15 p.m. Game 2 of the total-goal series goes Saturday, March 7 in Foremost.