LAC LA BICHE - The Lac La Biche Junior B Clippers will have an extended holiday break after two weekend games were cancelled, leading into the mid-season gap.
The Clippers were supposed to play three games in three days before the league's Christmas break — a home game on Friday against the Vermilion TIgers and then away games in Wainwright on Saturday and Cold Lake on Sunday. But only the Friday night game went ahead, seeing the short-benched Clippers losing 9-5 against the Tigers. Suffering from some roster issues in recent weeks, the Lac La Biche squad had only 11 players dressed for the game. Despite being out-manned, they were up 4-2 at the start of the second period. That lead slipped away to a 4-4 tie by the end of the middle frame, and the Tigers pounced in the third, scoring five unanswered goals against the tired home team.
While the Clippers couldn't put goals on the scoreboard in the third, they put penalty minutes. With just three penalties issued in the first two periods, there were 17 infractions called on both teams in the third, for a total of 66 penalty minutes and four game misconducts.
Next year
The Clippers won't get back onto the ice until Saturday, Jan. 8 when they play the first of two games of a home game weekend. The Saturday night game is against the Killam Wheat Kings. The Sunday Jan. 9 matinee game is against the St. Paul Canadiens.
