It was another up and down weekend for the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs, losing 6-1 in Drayton Valley Friday and then responding with a 4-3 shootout win in Sherwood Park the next night.
The weekend split leaves the Pontiacs tied for second with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League's North Division, two points behind the Spruce Grove Saints.
Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier said his team just did not come prepared to play in Drayton Valley, but responded with a solid effort Saturday against the Crusaders.
“The bottom line is (Drayton Valley) played well and we didn't. We had too many guys that just weren't ready to play at the level we needed them,” he explained. “I think we had a lot more guys step up and do some real good things for us in Sherwood Park.”
It was Pontiacs forward Tanner Dusyk notching his sixth goal of the year and 17th point to open the scoring against the Thunder Friday. But that was all the Pontiacs could muster, as they were dismantled the rest of the way.
Saturday night was all right for fighting in Sherwood Park, as the Pontiacs and Crusaders engaged in a fight-filled affair that ended with Pontiacs defenceman Jordon Krankowsky scoring the shootout winner and sending his teammates into a frenzy.
Mercier said Krankosky has shown his ability to score in practice shootouts and combined with having his best season as a Pontiac, the defenceman was a clear choice to take the shot for his team.
“It was time to give him an opportunity and he made the most of it, making a great play on the goal,” said Mercier. “But we might not hear the end of this one from him.”
The rough stuff that occurred prior to overtime and the shootout left its mark on the rosters, as 16-year-old rookie Pontiac Colton Waltz was suspended one game for dropping the mitts in a secondary fight with 20-year-old Crusader Stephan Wall, who was also suspended for one game.
Sherwood Park player Braden Christoffer was suspended two games for a major blow to the head of Pontiacs forward Tommy Barszcz, who is now questionable for the teams' rematch Wednesday evening in Bonnyville.
Ryan Kearns and Kevin Carthy also found themselves physically defending their team in separate scraps with Crusaders Saturday.
Mercier said, “Emotions on both sides boiled high and sometimes you have to stick up for yourself and each other. I don't believe there has to be tons of fights, that's something that's being debated hotly right now. But you have to look after things and that's ultimately what our guys did.”
There was also some scoring in the game versus the Crusaders. The Pontiacs received goals from defenceman Redford Swan and Barszcz in the first period, with Waltz picking up his first point as a Pontiac on Barszcz's marker.
Kearns scored his sixth goal of the year in the third period, before the Crusaders came back with two straight short-handed goals to send the game into extra time.
Barszcz added an assist on the Kearns goal and is now up to 20 points through 18 games, good for the team lead and 10th in league scoring.
Pontiacs forwards Dante Borrelli, Paul Lamoureux, Logan Harland and Barszcz are all listed as questionable for Wednesday's action.
The Pontiacs are looking forward to a rematch with the Crusaders tomorrow night, said Mercier.
Puck drop is 7 p.m.
