It was a busy week for the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs, travelling to Fort McMurray to take on the Oil Barons Wednesday, before returning home to face the Calgary Canucks Friday and then finishing off the week with a game in Camrose Saturday against the Kodiaks.
As busy as they were, the Pontiacs still managed to pick up points in all three games. In fact, the team has now picked up points in all five games to start the season, suffering just one loss so far, which came at the hands of the Kodiaks in overtime Saturday.
Earlier in the week, the Pontiacs beat the Oil Barons 3-1 and the Canucks by the same score, before dropping the matchup in Camrose 4-3 in O.T.
“It's still early and we have lots of things to work on, but we're getting points and that's a credit to our guys,” said Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier. “We've been able to work and stay with things and we've found ways to get points in all five games. We've got a long way to go, but we know if we continue to put the work in we will continue to get better.”
The week started out with a hard fought game in Fort McMurray, where the Oil Barons put 35 shots on net but only managed to get one by the Pontiacs 18-year-old goalie Stephen Klein, who picked up the game star for his effort in net.
After going down 1-0 in the first period, Bonnyville came back with two powerplay goals in the second. Forward Brady Bakke scored his first of the season to tie it at 1-1, with Keith Csizmadia and Tom Kohler picking up assists on the goal. Kohler then put the Pontiacs ahead for good with his first of the season. Csizmadia and Locke Muller assisted on the game-winner.
Muller then added an empty net goal for good measure.
The Pontiacs kept the winning streak going with Calgary in town, as Bonnyville again got down early before coming back with three straight goals to extend the winning streak.
Forward Spencer Foo opened the scoring for the Pontiacs off a nice pass from defenceman Redford Swan. It was another Pontiacs veteran defender figuring in on the scoring to give the Pontiacs the lead, as Carson McCormick scored his first Alberta Junior Hockey League goal, putting it in from the point after receiving a pass from Tanner Dusyk.
Forward Marc Dubeau added one more for the Pontiacs, with Muller and Jackson Dudley picking up assists on the play.
McCormick spoke about his first AJHL goal following the win. “Dusyk made a nice pass over and I just let it go from the point. It might not have been the hardest shot ever, but in this game, it doesn't have to be the hardest shot to fool the goalie.”
In Camrose, the Pontiacs finally found a way to get out to a lead, going up 2-0, before the Kodiaks came back with one of their own late in the first. Scoring for the Pontiacs in the first were Max Collins, off assists from Kohler and Alex Smith, and T.J. Fairall, with Csizmadia and Muller assisting on Fairall's first of the season.
The Kodiaks tied it up in the second and went up 3-2 in the third, forcing the Pontiacs to score one late to force the game into O.T. It was Dudley coming up big for the Pontiacs off an assist from Muller.
But in overtime, playing 3-on-3, even the smallest mistake can lead to a goal. And just under a minute in, Kodiak defenceman Jonathan Lashyn let a slap shot go, which found its way past Klein and into the back of the net for the win.
“We got the bounces we needed early on,” said Swan. “And then we had the next forty minutes to get the job done, but we let them back in it.”
Swan said the overtime loss might be a wake up call the team needs early on. “We were pretty high on starting the season the way we did. But I think this was a reminder that we need to come with our best effort every game, every shift.”
The Pontiacs will return to the road, as the team travels to Sherwood Park Wednesday to take on the Crusaders, before returning home to face the Olds Grizzlys Friday and the Calgary Mustangs Saturday. Puck drop for all three games will be at 7 p.m.
