The AJHL schedule listed it as a regular season game. In reality, though, the Grande Prairie Storm's contest Satruday night at home to the Drayton Valley Thunder was more like an exhibition affair.
With all playoff spots locked up and nothing to play for, the Storm and Thunder likely just wanted to make it through without adding any more players to the injured list. In the end, the Thunder emerged with a 4-3 victory, snapping the Storm's five game winning streak.
Most of the scoring was done in the third period, as the visitors led 1-0 through 40 minutes. Mike Forsyth tied the game early in the final frame, before the Thunder added a pair to make it 3-1. Jade McMullen and Tyler Haiste then came back to knot things up once again. However, Grande Prairie had no answer to the eventual game winning goal, scored with just under eight minutes left to go.
Storm had clinched second place a night earlier, when they doubled Sherwood Park 4-2. That also set up an opening round series with the Crusaders, which starts Tuesday night at the Canada Games Arena. Game two is one night later, before the best of five series heads to Sherwood Park on the weekend.
– Story by Don Whiteford of www.PeaceCountrySports.com