A shutout for Clippers' netminder Joshua Irving lead the Lac La Biche junior B squad to a 3-0 win over the Wainwright Bisons on Saturday night.
The Thanksgiving weekend win was something for local fans to be thankful for, as the last match between the two teams on October 2 resulted in a turkey of a game for the Clippers, losing 14-1 to the Bisons.
Players and officials were also thankful of the win, breaking a two-game losing streak to start the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League season.
The Saturday game in front of a cheering crowd at the Bold Center saw the Keanu Folds open the scoring for the Clippers six minutes into the first period. Less than three minutes later, Sami Fyith notched the Clippers second goal.
The second period had no scoring, but Donald Fox put away the game for the Clippers with just over four minutes to go in the third period on a feed from Fyith and Brant Rosychuk.
Both teams tested the goaltenders, with the Clippers firing 43 on Bisons netminder Jack Schneider. Irving turned away all 41 shots he faced leading to the shutout.
The win catapulted the Clippers over two teams at the bottom of the NEAJHL, moving them into fifth place of the seven-team league, two points behind the Bisons and a point ahead of sixth place Vermilion.
The Clippers are in St. Paul to face the Canadiens on Friday night for the first of a home-and-home series with the regional rivals.. The second game between the teams is in Lac La Biche on Sunday. The puck drops at 4 pm. at the Bold Center on Sunday.
