The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs kicked off the New Year with a bang last weekend, wracking up a pair of impressive victories as the team jumped right back into AJHL action following a short Christmas break.
The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs kicked off the New Year with a bang last weekend, wracking up a pair of impressive victories as the team jumped right back into AJHL action following a short Christmas break.
The black, white and gold had one of their best performances of the year on Friday (Jan. 2), handing the league's best team south of the divide the Camrose Kodiaks their fifth regulation defeat of the year courtesy of a pulsating, come-from-behind 6-4 victory before making light work of the Grande Prairie Storm on home ice the very next night.
Making the long trip to Camrose on Friday, the Pontiacs had it all to do as they came face to face with the number one team in the AJHL's southern division. After a slow start to the game, the Pontiacs soon found themselves a goal, and then two behind as the impressive Kodiaks offence went to work on a young Pontiacs side.
As has been the case for much of the current AJHL season though, the Pontiacs responded well and soon got themselves on the board through big centre Evan Warmington, who netted his fourth goal in only his fourth game since joining the team back in December.
That goal rallied the Pontiacs and less than a minute later rookie forward Alden Dupuis tickled the twine after good work from Chad Hurtubise and Ryan Symington, bringing the Pontiacs back to level terms.
After working so hard to claw their way back into the game, it looked as if the Pontiacs may have thrown it all away at the start of the second period with forwards Bobby McMann and Kyler Hehn each handed minor penalties in the opening minute to give the Kodiaks a promising five-on-three powerplay opportunity.
The Pontiacs however flipped the script and, after killing off the first of the two penalties, went right up the other end with forward Mitch Fritz potting an unlikely shortie to give the team their first lead of the game. Warmington added his second of the game on the powerplay at 8:56 in the second period to give the Yaks some breathing room heading into the third.
Kyler Hehn would grab Bonnyville's fifth of the game, once again on the powerplay with just two minutes gone in the third to well and truly put the game beyond the Kodiaks reach. Camrose would try for a late rally, putting up a powerplay goal of their own at 18:16 in the period to set up a grandstand finish. Brinson Pasichnuk would however add some gloss to the scoreline with an empty netter right at the death, giving the Pontiacs the 6-4 victory.
Back at the RJ Lalonde for the first time since the Christmas break and the Pontiacs certainly gave a large hometown crowd something to cheer about with an emphatic 8-2 victory over the basement dwelling Grande Prairie Storm.
Forwards Dillas McCombie, Hehn and Symington each helped themselves to three points during the game, while Warmington continued his impressive form since joining the Pontiacs, notching another goal to take his tally to six since he was swapped for Luke Mahura back on Dec. 11.
The two wins ensured the Pontiacs stayed in fifth place in the AJHL's northern division, although they can pass the Sherwood Park Crusaders into fourth providing they win three of their four games in hand over the Edmonton-area team.
The Pontiacs will be back at it tonight as the travel north to take on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The boys will be back on home ice on Saturday for a tilt with the Whitecourt Wolverines.
