Members of the Meadow Lake U18A Stampeders pose for a team photo at Moeller Hometown Arena in Meadow Lake following their provincial final loss on Saturday, March 28, 20226. The team finished as provincial finalists after falling in a deciding game. (Image Credit: Meadow Lake Minor Hockey)

By Kenneth Cheung

2025-26 season

‘A determined bunch’: U18A Stampeders reach provincial final, fall just short in final minute

Mar 30, 2026 | 4:25 PM

The Meadow Lake U18A Stampeders came within a minute of a provincial championship before a late goal ended their season in a deciding mini Game 3.

After forcing the winner-take-all game with a 3-2 victory earlier Saturday at Moeller Hometown Arena, Meadow Lake held the Prairie Storm scoreless until a goal with 49 seconds remaining in a 1-0 loss.

“And the boys came over really hard, played really, really well,” head coach Kim Kozlowski said.

The Stampeders earned that opportunity with a bounce-back effort in Game 2, responding to a 5-1 loss the previous weekend. That push carried into the deciding game, where Meadow Lake stayed within reach until the final minute.

“With 49 seconds left in that mini Game 3, Prairie Storm scored on us,” he said. 

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“So they went up one nothing and we just couldn’t quite, you know, score another goal to tie that game up.”

Despite the result, Kozlowski pointed to the group’s response under pressure as a defining part of the run. 

“They came to play. They outworked their opponents,” he said. “They showed a lot of grip, determination, and they were successful in Game 2.”

The effort stood in contrast to the opening game of the series, when the Stampeders were beaten 5-1 on the road. Rather than carrying that result forward, Kozlowski said his team reset.

“The boys could have come in with a mentality ‘Well, you know, it’s been a good season… that’s kind of it for us,’ but they definitely didn’t,” he said.

Instead, Meadow Lake extended its season and pushed the eventual champions to the brink.

“Overall, very, very happy with the team, very, very happy with the boys and their effort, their attitude and approach to that game on the weekend,” Kozlowski said. 

“And, obviously, just sorry it didn’t work out, but really nothing to hang your head about.”

The loss capped a playoff run that included an overtime victory in the North Final, a moment Kozlowski identified as a key highlight.

“You know, it’s tough not to think back to that overtime win in the Northern Provincial final,” he said.

“It was, it’s really quite a feat to make it to the provincial final and make it that far. … Nothing to be ashamed of, that’s for sure.” 

The Stampeders will see turnover heading into next season, with six players graduating from the program.

What the roster looks like next year remains uncertain, but Kozlowski expects the returning group to build off this run.

“I still think that the base that we had this year that’s returning, they’re probably going to come back next year, hungry to get back to the provincial final again, too,” he said.

That mindset, he added, defined the team throughout the season.

“They were a determined bunch,” Kozlowski said. “They were a determined group of kids, and we’re not willing to give up on their season at any point.”

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Kenneth.cheung@pattisonmedia.com