Despite a valiant effort, the Unity Midget AA Lazers lost their Centre Four Hockey League semifinal series against the Warman Wildcats, three games to two. Congratulations on a good season, boys, and we wish you all the best next year wherever you may be.
Here are some shots of third period action in the fourth game held at Unity March 10, which Warman won 4-2.
It took five games but the Unity Midget AA Lazers beat the Humboldt Broncos in the fifth and final game 4-0, with Kyle Turk getting the shutout, to move ahead in Centre Four Hockey League playoff action.
The Lazers now play Warman in the semifinal, with the series starting in Warman March 3. Home games for the Lazers are scheduled for Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 10 at 5 pm.
Photos from the third period of the fifth game with the Broncos, which was played in Unity Feb. 27:
The Unity Midget AA Lazers are playing for a provincial banner, going up against the Notre Dame Hounds in the final. They also have advanced to the Centre Four Hockey League final.
REMAINING HOME GAMES: In provincials, the Unity, SK Lazers host the Hounds Saturday, March 29, at 4 pm while, in league, a tentative game 3 – if needed – against Beardy’s has been scheduled for Friday, March 28, at 7:30 pm.
These photos are from the second northern provincial final against the Saskatoon Icehawks, which the Lazers won 3-0. They were tied at 4-4 with the Icehawks going into the second game of the total-point, two-game series. Justen Close, shown in the first photo shaking hands with the linesman after the game, had the shutout, stopping 29 shots.
The Unity Midget AA Lazers opened their 2013-14 season in the Centre Four Hockey League Midget AA division with back-to-back games against the Prince Albert Raiders Oct. 12 and 13. The Unity team won the first game 4-0 and lost the Sunday game 6-5. See the October 21 Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald for full coverage of the games. Meanwhile, here are some photos from Sunday’s action.
With nine returning players after icing a “very young team last year,” manager Dwayne Scott expects to see the Unity Midget AA Lazers “definitely improve” from last year.
The final cuts were made after an exhibition game played against Meadow Lake, in Unity, Sept. 29. The nine veterans on the team will be joined by five first-year midgets. Players come from the communities of Unity, Wilkie, Luseland, Kindersley, Macklin, Neilburg and Kerrobert.
Scott said traditionally the teams in the eastern part of the province are very strong although, until he sees this year’s teams, he can’t say for sure what will happen this year. Nevertheless he expects the Midget AA Lazers to be “in the middle of the pack or higher” this year.
The midgets will play in the Centre Four Hockey League again. They open the regular season with back-to-back home games against Prince Albert, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 2:15 p.m.
In the exhibition game, the Lazers beat Meadow Lake 8-3.
Local players
Assistant captains Devan Bertoia and Blake Robertson are both Unity boys and are joined on the team by Brandt Bertoia. Players from Wilkie and Luseland are Kirklan Glassford and Tyson Logan Munt. Ryan Donald of Rockhaven and Zach Herle of Neilburg are both attending school in Unity as well as playing with the Lazars. Cut Knife’s Dax and Declan Desmarais are also on the team.
