Blackfalds Wranglers head coach Sean Neumeier said he saw an inspired team play against the Red Deer Vipers on Tuesday night, despite losing 6-5 in overtime.

“They’re technically the best team in the league and we gave them everything they could handle and more. We probably should’ve had a better fate, to be honest,” Neumeier said.

His squad fell behind 4-1 by the early second period, with Landon Siegle scoring for Blackfalds.

Goals from the Wranglers’ Shawn Rowe, Riley Mathies and Austin Wilson in the second period drew them even.

After the Vipers regained the lead late in the third, the Wranglers’ Braden Olsen chipped in a cross-crease pass from Siegle to force overtime with 20 seconds left on the clock.

Neumeier hopes for more of the same effort level.

“We just have 20 guys work hard tonight. I questioned their work ethic on Sunday and they all answered. So I was pretty happy,” he said. “If we come out and just work hard every night, we have a good team.”

The Wranglers visit Ponoka on Saturday.