The Prince Albert Vulcans celebrate a win against the Sabercats on Dec. 19 (Vulcans Prince Albert/Facebook)

By Derek Craddock

WE'RE #1

Vulcans reach number one in SAAHL North Division standings

Dec 21, 2022 | 12:00 PM

A local hockey club has wrapped up the first half of the season and finds itself at the top of the standings in its division.

The Prince Albert U18 AA Vulcans are now first in the North Division of the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League (SAAHL)

“For a brief period of time, we were first in the province but currently we’re the top team in the North Division with a record of 18-2-0-1 which is exceptional,” said head coach Derek Simonson. “No one would have probably expected that.”

Simonson said his team has not only produced on the ice in recent weeks but also built a great work ethic, which is part of the mantra for the Vulcans coaching staff.

“We sort of built our team around being champions and doing the little things that maybe other teams aren’t willing to do to help with success.”

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The Vulcans ended 2022 with a 3-0 win against the Saskatoon Sabercats on Dec. 19. With that victory, the team holds the top spot in the division, thanks to a massive effort from both sides of the ice.

“We got a really tight team,” said Simonson. “Some really great veteran players and some exceptional first-year rookie players that have taken on their role and leading by example.”

Right now, Colin Paulhus leads the team with 16 goals and 28 points, followed close behind by Keethan Isbister with 15 goals and 24 points.

Simonson also touched on the stellar play of their goaltenders who have combined for 18 wins, along with a 1.69 GAA and a .944 Save Percentage. Joshua Henry has played 11 games for the team, winning nine of them while Brayden Lyons has won all nine of his starts including three shutouts.

“That is truly a reflection of how well our goaltending is doing but also a reflection of our team defense and our commitment to doing those really good things on the defensive end of the puck,” said Simonson.

The Vulcans will play in a holiday tournament in Camrose, Alta., before returning home to play on Jan. 4 against North East. From there, it’s full steam ahead to the remainder of the season and the 2023 playoffs.

“We probably exceeded some of our expectations,” said Simonson. “We got this train going down the tracks in the right direction right now and we’re just going to continue to build off of it.”

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @PA_Craddock