The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs showed no mercy against the Whitecourt Wolverines in round one of playoffs.
Taking the first game by storm 5-1, they carried the momentum into the next two matchups, ending the series as quickly as it started.
Regardless of whether or not they were playing for hometown fans, Bonnyville made their mark by leading Whitecourt 3-1 in their second and third games, taking the series 3-0.
Pontiacs mark their territory
Bonnyville started the best of five series off strong, dominating Whitecourt 5-1 on home ice Thursday, March 7.
The teams were fresh off their final regular season game, and tensions were high as they headed into the playoffs.
While Whitecourt started the scoring off in the first, they would fail to continue finding the back of the net.
Head coach Rick Swan said it was goalie Colby Muise who made the difference during the period.
“We’re lucky he played so well. I know if we had played another team in our league, maybe we wouldn’t have come out with that being down 1-0. We put ourselves in a bad spot, and I know our guys weren’t happy with their performance. I certainly wasn’t, and I let them know.”
Pontiac defenceman Jackson Hogg agreed.
“It was... a slow start. We weren’t playing our game, but after the time out, we really picked up our play and picked up the structure that Rick’s put in place, and we just took off,” he noted.
During the second frame, the Pontiacs scored all five of their points for the night.
Joel Ray kicked it off just three minutes into the period, followed by Daine Dubois who broke the 1-1 tie.
“It was an awesome chip by Grayson Constable to get it right to me,” Dubois recalled. “That’s where it started, and then I carried it up the wall, saw the opening and took it. Luckily enough, I was able to finish it off.”
Trey Thomas keeps his eye on the Whitecourt Wolverine’s goal as he makes his way across the ice.
Garin Butler got the puck past the Wolverine’s goaltender to bring Bonnyville’s lead up to 3-1.
Constable added his name to the scoresheet before Isaac Saniga would score the final goal of the night.
Whitecourt falls
The Wolverines weren’t able to turn it around in the second game of the series on March 8, falling to Bonnyville 3-1.
Whitecourt found the scoreboard just minutes into the first period.
The Pontiacs closed the gap and tied it up in the second frame with a powerplay goal by Dubois.
Constable scored one of his own less than four minutes into the final period, followed by a second powerplay goal from Dubois.
Final matchup
The Pontiacs came out on top in their final matchup against Whitecourt.
On March 10, Bonnyville hit the road for what would be their last game of the series.
The Wolverines continued their pattern of being first to find the back of the net, and scored with less than two minutes on the clock.
Constable took advantage of an extra man and scored a powerplay goal mid-period.
Lucas Reeves fights for control of the puck during the game.
Dubois ended the first frame on a high note for the Pontiacs, breaking the tie and ending the frame 2-1.
Marc Antoine-Benoit scored the final goal of the series at the bottom of the third.
He found the back of the net on a powerplay, ending the matchup 3-1.
Now the Pontiacs will go head-to-head in the best of seven division semi-final. Who they will meet at the face-off is still being determined as other teams wrap up round one of playoffs.
