Bentley Generals Senior AAA Hockey Club - Powered By esportsdesk.com

The Army marched out in front of a full house for their 2nd round robin game with Kenora Thistles. A Gens' win would clinch the Host team a quarter-final bye. The Northern Ontario delegates, appearing in their 3rd consecutive tournament, had different ideas.

Two minutes into the contest, Kenora caught the home teams attention when a freakish bounce slid past Bakala. Gens' rookie winger, Keenan Desmet then tied the game a few minutes later. Brett Robertson and Scott Doucet assisted on the goal. The Thistles' were living up to their name, playing a prickly style of hockey making themselves a thorn in the side of the home town favorites while the officials allowed the game to continue under "liberal" terms. The Generals proved they were more than a bunch of pretty faces, willingly engaging the rough & tumble opposition with a hard-handed response which was largley led by Randall Gelech whose spirited efforts were rewarded late in the 1rst period when he helped set-up the go ahead goal scored by Dustin Sproat.

Scott Doucet scored early in the 2nd period to make it 3-1. Kenora made a big push to keep it close with a snipe a few minutes later but the Gens'...again...pulled away when Aust-on-a-String was set up by Doucet & Brett Robertson (their 3rd points of the game).

The final 20 minutes were infested with plenty of PIM's. Austring iced the win at 10:42. It wasn't a perfect game but the vital bye was clinched.

The Generals were now in the drivers seat, home and cooled for the next 48 hours. It proved to be just far enough out of the way to be a safe vantage point to watch the 3rd and final day of round robin play unfold. The matinee game between Stony Plain and Clarenville was dealt a 45 minute interruption after Eagles' star scorer, Justin Cox, was driven through the boards on a vicious hit from Caribous' defenceman, Shane Victor. At the exact moment of collison, Stony Plain was leading the game 2-0 and had Cox been able to bury his scoring chance just micro-seconds before the biggest hit of the entire season...and maybe the entire history of the tournament...maybe things could've turned out better for the Alberta Representatives. Instead...the long wai for rink repairs seemed to turn the fortunes of the game. Clarenville came back to kill off the entire 5 minute major with ease, then rallied for a 3-2 win which subsequently gave them top spot in their pool.

Rosetown erupted for a very strong showing in the evening tilt. They crushed Kenora 8-0. The big, skilled Saskatchewan team appeared on a mission to earn a re-match with Bentley and the consensus around the beer gardens that night was in agreement with such a prediction.

Rosetown racked up a 4-1 quarter-final win over Stony Plain, holding the Eagles to a paltry total of 11 SOG's 24 hours later. It seemed imminent that Rosetown was going to advance to the finals at that point. They'd defended their end of the rink near perfectly against Stony Plain and outscored their last 2 opposition 12-1.

Thing is...math was already working against the Saskatchewan Champs. Kenora's crushing of Fort St John 8-2 in the other quarter-final didn't do anything to change the semi-final schedule. Rosetown would face a well rested Clarenville club while the Generals would meet Kenora, playing their 4rth game in as many days.

Fatigue was an obvious factor as Rosetown was really a non-factor in their bid to take down the Atlantic Champs. The game was 1-1 after 20 minutes but that was the last we heard from Rosetown. They gave up 3 straight goals, early in the 2nd period and had nothing left to rally in the 3rd period. The final score: 6-2 Clarenville.

The 2nd semi-final was "supposed" to end up somewhat similar to the day game. Kenora had shown well during the week...but...surely the tightness in their legs would catch up to them, wouldn't it?

When Gens' Captain, Sean Robertson, banked a rebound in at 18:11 of the 1rst, The Army couldn't help but expect an easy win. Thistles' goalie, Ryan Person, had a different idea however. He stopped 13 of 14 shots to keep it 1-0 going into the intermission.

Unlike the earlier engagement between these teams, this game was being called tightly. The Kenora coaching staff were visibly distraught about some of the whistles, while the Generals, rested and experienced, laboured onward, un-rattled by the scrappy flow.

Matt Stefanishion, snake-bit on some earlier scoring chances, would not be denied after Scotty Kalinchuk executed an excellent drop pass for the 6'5" 250 pound winger from Daysland to do with what he pleased at 9:52 of the 2nd period. Stefanishion sacrificed some of his power for precision when he picked the top corner perfectly to put the frenzied game into full control, 2-0. Jeff Bowen brought the Thistles into the game with a PPG at 15:48.

An already murky situation became as muddled as anyone couldve imagined in the 3rd period. Gens' sniper, Dustin Sproat gained a stride on a Thistles defender before being wiped off his feet at 11:13 of the 3rd period.

An Allan Cup first for me...a penalty shot was awarded...much to the chagrin of the Kenora bench.

As Sproat prepared for the shot, I couldn't help but wonder if the questionable call would work out favorably for Bentley. If Sproat were to be stopped on his bid, it would certainly give Kenora a gigantic energy boost in an increasingly tense game.

For Sproats' part...his body english was as cool as a cucumber approaching Ryan Person's net. You could almost sniff a hint of aloe vera in the air as Sproat...sprouted... to his left before plucking a blossom on the back hand...as smooth as a new borns bottom.

Kenora couldn't buy themselves enough time to comeback in the dying minutes. They pulled Person late in the game and scored one of the two ENG's they were needing to preserve the Championship quest. Bakala made some big saves in this game although Kenora can take some consolation as the only team to beat Bakala...more than once...in several months.

The 2013 Allan Cup Final was set. Clarenville versus Bentley. The same match-up as the 2011 Final in which the Generals roster, decimated by injury, lost a 5-2 decision.

This time, however, The Army was healthy. There would be no 4 hour round trip scrambles between the airport and the arena. There were no puzzling line-up changes to confuse or concern anyone. There wasn't panic or perscription pain killers. There was only a home cooked meal and a huge home town crowd welcoming The Army onto the ice as they attempted to become Alberta's first multiple Allan Cup winner of all time.

The 'Bous proved to be up to the tall task of taking on the powerhouse host team. The first period was solid for both sides but to my eye...it was already playing into the hands of the Generals when neither team mustered a double digit shot total after 20 minutes. A strong indication that the Generals defensive style was taking precdent over Clarenville's high octane, rushing disposition.

And it was that vaunted Generals defence which was called upon to couragously contain a 5on3 Clarenville PP mid way into the game with the opening goal still up for grabs. With Gens' veterans' Travis Brigley and Sean Robertson in the box, guys like Jeremy Colliton and Chris Neiszner came to the rescue in front of Bakala as the Atlantic All Stars were denied a delicious chance to draw first blood.

That huge PK put a burst of extra confidence behind Bentley. At 14:09 of the 2nd period, Chris Neiszner tipped a leaning wrister from Lundmark under Jason Churchill's gangly arms to put the fella's up 1-0.

The Army lurched forward with a hefty heave. 2000 strong in the stands and who knows how mant 1000's more watching on TSN took notice of near-perfect hockey the rest of the way.

Scott Doucet drilled home the 2-0 goal at 18:19 of period two. The line of Doucet, Desmet and Brett Robertson were...by far...the best trio on the rink in this game. They capped a completley dominant cycle sequence and took their team into the room with an important insurance goal.

At 8:20 of the 3rd, again the Gens youngest line linked together to make it 3-0. This time it was Desmet finding an open low corner.

With the rink having been severed in half, Clarenvlle couldn't come close enough to truly test Bakala. They settled for just a few shots from well out as Bakala recorded the first shut out in over a decade of Allan Cup Championship game, sealing his selection as Tournament MVP.

Wheels down! The Bentley Generals hoisted the 2013 Allan Cup after an template take down of "The Herd".