BONNYVILLE – An 8-1 defeat wasn’t the result the Bonnyville Senior Pontiacs had hoped for when they skated on the ice for their home opener on Sunday afternoon at the RJ Lalonde arena.
The 25-man home team took on the Red Deer Rustlers to kick-off the Northern Central Hockey League (NCHL) season, but as the game went on, the Bonnyville players’ endurance fell short and an attitude of defeat set in.
“We were anxiously waiting to get going this year,” said Senior Pontiacs Head Coach Corey Wandler. "We would obviously have liked better results in a better game – we took one on the chin today.”
Reflecting on the Pontiacs’ performance on the ice, the coach said conditioning, speed, and self-defeat were some of the elements that lead to Sunday’s final score.
“Our game shape, our legs for that game-level just aren't there, you can see it, we were half a step behind with our skating and our thinking. And if you make mistakes playing a team like that, you give them opportunities, they make you pay for it,” he said.
With a hard game and tough lesson under their belt, Wandler hopes it will prepare the team for what is coming next.
Next weekend, the Bonnyville Senior Pontiacs will have two more home games. Saturday evening, they take on the Camrose Crush followed by another evening game on Sunday against the Westlock Warriors.
"We'll have to rebound, forget about this one quick, and play,” Wandler said. “It doesn't get any easier to play Camrose next weekend. They're the defending champs, so we (have) got to be better.”
Moving forward, the Pontiacs will be focusing on player chemistry, line combinations, stomping out bad habits and maintaining momentum.
“We have to get those bad habits out of us because teams like Red Deer, and teams in this league, they'll make us pay and they don't feel sorry for us. If they can score nine every night, they'll score nine,” reflected Wandler.
Seeking more players
On top of shortcomings in conditioning, the Bonnyville Senior Pontiacs are also playing shorthanded.
In the NCHL, teams are allowed to have 30 players, the Senior Pontiacs are five players down from a full roster.
“We're obviously a little shorthanded defensively so those guys are a little overwhelmed with ice time and the pressure that they face,” acknowledged Wandler.
“We got to find some more defensemen and just get better in all three zones.”
The senior team can continue recruiting players and strong defensemen until Feb. 10. However, to take part in the playoffs, a player must have three games played in the regular season.
“So, we’ve got room for more if there are guys out there that we can find,” added the coach.
