The Portage Voyageurs had two away games last weekend and came home empty-handed with no wins. Both games were played in Calgary against the SAIT Trojans. Friday night's game was an 8-2 loss, and Saturday night's rematch was less of a margin at 6-4.
Friday's game had a good start for the Voyageurs, who are currently winless in the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference season, with both teams going to the dressing room after the opening period in a one-one draw. The tie didn’t last very long on the other side of the break, however, as SAIT scored five straight goals in the second period. The game wrapped up with the Voyageurs scoring one more goal in the third period and SAIT netting two more.
Saturday night's game was an even better start than Friday with Voyageur Adam Crowe scoring the only goal in the first period just seventeen seconds before the buzzer, followed by teammate Cole Keenleyside putting Portage up by two just 45 seconds into the middle period. SAIT came back with one of their own just a minute later — but the Voyageurs maintained a two-goal lead at the five-minute mark on a Brayden Dale goal. The Voyageurs kept the lead until the final minutes of period when SAIT scored two quick goals to take the teams into the second intermission in a three-goal tie.
Keenleyside got his second of the night just three and a half minutes into the third period, again putt the Voyageurs in the lead, but SAIT's stamina won out, as the scored the equalizer just 20 seconds later and then two more — the last into an empty net — to take the game.
Few games left
The Voyageurs will get a break from league action, with no games scheduled until the February 14 weekend, where they will play their Valentines' Day game against on the road against Red Deer College. The Voyageurs don't have a home game until February 21 when they faceoff with the MacEwan University Griffins.
The ACAC regular season wraps up on February 29. Only the top six teams of the eight team ACAC league qualify for the playoff round. With just one point, the Voyageurs are in last place in the league. The fifth, sixth and seventh place teams — Augustana, Concordia and Briercrest are all separated by just one point, with Augustana sitting at 18 points and the other two at 17.
* with files from Rob McKinley
