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Mac's title for Severstal

Scott Mitchell, Calgary Sun, January 01, 2012

When the UFA Bisons should have been charging, they were grazing.

An uninspired effort from the Strathmore-based club allowed Russian squad Severstal/Lokomotiv to capture their second Mac’s Midget Tournament title Sunday at the Saddledome with a 5-0 win.

Goaltender Wilson Sproule kept the Bisons in it early, but two second-period goals gave the Russians all the momentum they needed and Alexander Sharov’s natural hat-trick in the third period put it away for Russia, who enjoyed their first Mac’s crown since a 2007 triumph.

Sproule was named the tournament MVP, and it wasn’t his fault the Bisons couldn’t mount any offensive charge whatsoever.

“Seven games in seven days is a lot,” Sproule said. “It was just one of those days.

“It was just one of those games where we couldn’t get our momentum going. Usually with our team, once we get one goal, it just keeps on coming.”

It was the Russians who kept on coming.

After taking a 2-0 lead into the second intermission, Russia sealed it early in the third when Sharov finished off captain Artyom Vorobyov’s feed on a shorthanded rush to make it 3-0.

Then, just over three-and-a-half minutes later, Sharov struck again, dangling in on the right wing and roofing a pretty backhander over Sproule’s glovehand to extend the lead to four goals.

He’d finish off the hat-trick with 52 seconds left.

“I was very happy,” Sharov said through a translator after his hat-trick performance. “Of course, I had lots of help from my teammates.”

“We supported each other out there and that’s why we won the game.”

Russian GM Vladimir Sokolov was impressed by the 16-year-old winger’s performance when the lights were brightest.

“Not a hat-trick, but he often scores,” Sokolov said when asked what type of player Sharov is back in Russia. “He should score. He should score more.”

Russia outshot the Bisons 32-14.

It was a sound beating and it’s the second time the Bisons have lost in the final in the past three tournaments, as they lost to the Vancouver Giants in 2009.

Meanwhile, the Russians are showing they’re a threat to win every time they venture overseas.

“It’s really great for the kids and a great experience for the coaching staff, as well — we did it,” Sokolov said. “I think the kids, they played tougher and they skated well."

Russia finally solved Sproule at the 5:42 mark of the second period when an Ahmed Gimbatov shot from a bad angle found its way through the Bisons goaltender’s pads.

Artur Chuvilyaev puts Russia up by two with just under three minutes to go in the second period, outskating the Bisons’ defence and teeing up a slapper that fluttered through Sproule’s five-hole.

The Bisons went 3-0-1 in roundrobin play, before dispatching the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the quarterfinals.

They followed that up with another 4-2 win in the semifinals, this time over the previously unbeaten Prince Albert Mintos.

Russia went 2-0-2 in the roundrobin and took out the Czech Republic’s Pirati Chomutov 5-3 in the quarterfinals, and followed that up with a 3-2 win over the St. Albert Raiders in the semis.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."