AEHL U18 AAA post season preview
RED DEER - The AEHL U18 AAA regular season has wrapped up and the post season is finally here.
Twelve teams qualified for the playoffs with three of the four first round series kicking off on Wednesday, February 28. The fourth series will begin the following day on February 29.
After a spectacular regular season that saw tight battles for playoff positioning throughout the year, four teams earned first round byes due to being the top two teams in each division. The league leading Calgary Buffaloes went 27-9-2, putting them in first place overall with 56 points. The Buffaloes scored the most goals this season (199) while also giving up the fewest (106) and finished the regular season with the best goal differential with +93. They were followed by the Airdrie CFR Bisons who finished the season with 46 points in 38 games.
In the North Division, the St. Albert Raiders finished in first place by going 24-12-1-1, good for 50 points on the season. They were followed closely by the Edmonton Jr. Oilers Blue and Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange, who finished their seasons with 49 and 48 points respectively.
Calgary Buffalos forward Caleb Matthews claimed the league’s scoring title, posting 18 goals and 68 points in 35 games. His teammate Cooper Williams was the league’s leading goal scorer with 29 goals in 30 games. Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange goaltender Madden Mulawka had the best goals-against-average this season at 2.20 while Edmonton Jr. Oilers Blue goaltender Joshua Banini had the league’s best save percentage at .929 and most shutouts with three. Kael Svenson of the Calgary Buffaloes finished the season with the most wins with 15.
All series are best-of-three. The first round matchups are as followed.
North Division Quarterfinals (winners play (1) St. Albert Raiders and (2) Edmonton Jr. Oilers Blue):
(3) Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange vs (6) Fort Saskatchewan Strike Group Rangers
(4) Sherwood Park Ennis Kings vs (5) LJAC Wilhauk Jerky Oil Kings
South Division Quarterfinals (winners play (1) Calgary Buffaloes and (2) Airdrie CFR Bisons):
(3) Calgary NW Flames vs (6) Calgary Northstars
(4) Cannex Calgary Royals vs (5) Red Deer Optimist Chiefs
For complete schedules and links to the FloHockey broadcasts, check out the Playoffs tab on the U18 AAA website.
