AMBHL All Star Game ends in 5-3 victory for Team South

 

Okotoks, AB – The top 46 players from across the AMBHL gathered in Okotoks on Saturday for the 27th Annual AMBHL All Star Game.

The highly anticipated game features a collection of draft eligible players for the upcoming 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, and boasts an impressive group of notable alumni, including Matt Dumba, Ty Rattie, Josh Morrissey, and Sam Steel, among others. Many of these players who spent time in the AMBHL have advanced on to the WHL and beyond.

Ethan Leyer of the St. Albert Sabres opened the scoring with eight minutes left in the opening frame, off a breakaway pass by Team North and St. Albert teammate Carter Savoie.

Team South would claw back to tie the game 1-1 off a goal by Zack Stringer, of the Lethbridge Golden Hawks, who eventually earned player of the game honours for Team South after an impressive three-goal performance.

South would build on its lead early in the second, when Calgary Northstars forward Ethan Rowland went five hole past Team North goaltender Kyle Nelson. After a physical second period, and a solid goaltending battle for the better part of the mid-frame, Corson Ceulemans of the Leduc Oil Kings scored to tie the game at 2.

Team South took another lead and went up 3-2 when Stringer sniped his second goal of the game, with assists to Ozzy Weisblatt and Kadyn Chabot. After a scoreless start to the third, that line connected once again for South, as Chabot would bury one past Ethan Barwick, off a pretty passing play by Stringer from Weisblatt, to increase their lead to 4-2.

Team North would answer back minutes later, as Brett Hyland of CAC Lehigh Cement fired one past Tisdale to cut into the lead. However, North couldn’t claw back, as Stringer sealed the game on an empty net goal late in the third to complete the hat trick and give his team a commanding 5-3 lead.

Despite the loss, Team North outshot its opponent 35-24. Zack Stringer and Ethan Leyer were named players of the game, while Team South’s Ethan Rowland of the Calgary Northstars, who showed great speed throughout the game, earned hardest working player honours. It was a highly physical and spirited contest,with a string of consecutive penalties through the late second into the third.

Garin Bjorklund started between the pipes for Team South, with Brayden Peters slotting in for the second, and Cole Tisdale rounding out the duties in the third period. With Sebastian Cossa out due to injury, Kyle Nelson started the game in net for Team North and played until the midway mark of the second, before Ethan Barwick closed out the second half of the game.

For more on the AMBHL All Star Game, visit ambhl.ab.ca.

 

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