BONNYVILLE – Seeing more wins than losses over the last two weeks, the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs edge closer to their competitors ranked higher on the AJHL North Division standings.
Between Jan. 25 and Feb. 5, the Pontiacs have managed three wins, one loss and one overtime loss.
This weekend, the Pontiacs played a double matchup against the Sherwood Park Crusaders, resulting in one win and one loss for the home team.
The Pontiacs hosted the Crusaders at the RJ Lalonde Arena on Friday night. To the home crowds' dismay, the Sherwood Park team was able to shut out the Pontiacs, take advantage of a powerplay and finish the game 2-0.
Travelling to Sherwood Park’s home ice the following evening, the Pontiacs returned the favour by taking a shutout win of their own.
Not giving the Crusaders an opportunity to score on Saturday night, the Bonnyville Pontiacs took advantage of every opportunity the Crusaders provided.
The Pontiacs managed to find the back of the net once every period, while scooping up two points during power plays.
Near the end of the first period and on a power play, Kash Rasmussen scored with the help of Sebastain Tamburro and Cole Hipkin. At the beginning of the second period, A.J. Macaulay would score following a pass from Hipkins during another power play.
Rasmussen would once again put puck to mesh in the third period scoring on an empty net unassisted, finishing the game 3-0.
Earlier in the week, the Pontiacs would take a decisive 5-1 win over the Whitecourt Wolverines during a home game on Feb. 1.
Starting the first period closely matched, the Pontiacs would pull ahead in the second period earning two power play goals. By the third period, the Pontiacs sealed their fate with two more goals.
Less than two minutes before the final buzzer the Wolverines would score their first and only point of the night.
In the first period, Matteo Giampa was the first Pontiac to put up a point against the Whitecourt team, followed by goals scored by Rasmussen and Tamburro who both found the back of the net during power plays in the second period.
Both teams racked up five penalties each during the second period alone, creating a heated and energized spectacle for the fans.
Ryan Koebel and Justin Stathopoulus would each add a point to the Pontiacs score during the third period.
Wrapping up their January games, the Pontiacs faced off against the Oil Barons in Fort McMurray on Jan. 25.
In a tight battle, the Pontiacs found themselves tied 3-3 with their Fort McMurray counterpart and ultimately came up short in an overtime shoot out.
Putting up points for the Pontiacs was Austin Saint in the first period, then Alex Danis, a former Oil Barons player, in the second period, and finally, Rasmussen in the third period.
Four days later, the Pontiacs would host the top team in the AJHL league, the Brooks Bandits, and manage a 3-0 shutout win.
In an intense game from start to finish, the action in the second period would be unprecedented.
During the Jan. 29 match, the first and last period would be a bitter stalemate between the two teams. However, in the second period the Pontiacs managed to score three times – twice while shorthanded.
Tamburro, with an assist from Rasmussen was the first to put up a point. Roughly five minutes later, Tamburro would score again, while shorthanded, following another pass from Rassmussen.
Near the end of the second period, Rasmussen would find the back of the net himself unassisted while also playing shorthanded. Neither the Pontiacs nor Bandits would score again for the remainder of the game.
Currently, the Pontiacs are sitting in third place in North Division AJHL standings, just four points behind the Oil Barons, and fourth overall in the AJHL.
The next time the Pontiacs play on home ice is on Friday, Feb. 11, against the Camrose Kodiaks. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
