The gold medal final went just about as far as it could for the AC Avalanche, Dec. 22.

The Avs were playing in the Calgary Northstars M-15 Winter Blast Hockey Tournament on the weekend and faced the Northwest Calgary Athletic Association Bruins in the final.

The game was deadlocked 2 - 2 as it entered the shootout.

The Avs Owen Jones scored on the first shot in the shootout, and Josh Hager stopped three Bruins shots in a row to help lead the team to a 3 - 2 win and the gold medal in hand.

Head coach Terry Sydoryk says the Avs goaltending has been strong all season.

"Josh Hager had a great shootout.  He stopped all three Northwest Bruins' shooters.  We've gone with both goalies all year long and they've given us a fantastic performance, whichever one was getting the call."

Sydroryk feels the team played well enough to win the gold in regulation time.

"The team played well enough that they should have won before that, but in the end ended up winning the gold so it was a great recognition of their effort."

The Avalanche, a team made up of players from Airdrie and Cochrane who play in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League (AMMHL), went through the tournament unbeaten, winning three straight during the round-robin to finish in first place. 

The Avs are having a great season in the AMMHL. They hold down second place in the league's south division with a 17 - 4 and 1 record and are just two points in back of the first-place Okotoks Oilers.