BONNYVILLE – Taking on three different competitors in four days, the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs came out with a victory in all three matches that took place last week at the RJ Lalonde Arena.
On Wednesday, the Pontiacs took on the Lloydminster Bobcats and came out with a 4-2 win.
The first to score was the Pontiacs’ newest addition to the team, Alex Danis who received assistance from Charlie Russell and Jonathan Barker.
Taking control of the second period, both Pontiacs Sebastian Tamburro and Alex Atwill found the back of the net. Tamburro was assisted by Cole Hipkin, also new to the Pontiacs roster and Kash Rasmussen. Atwill earned his point after receiving a pass from A.J. Macaulay and Ryan Koebel.
The fourth goal of the evening was scored by team captain Rasmussen, who saw help from Hipkin and Tamburro.
Friday, the Pontiacs hosted Drayton Valley Thunder. In a close game, the Bonnyville Pontiacs managed to take the win with shootout goals scored by Alex Atwill and Kash Rasmussen.
With the Pontiacs unable to find the net in the first period, Hipkin would manage to tie the game at 1-1 just 20 seconds before the end of the second period. He would find assistance from Rasmussen and Mathew Roy.
Laying it all on the ice to try and get the upper hand, Chayce Schmidt put up a point to answer a goal by the Thunder. He was assisted by Atwill. Tamburro then scored a shorthanded goal next with a pass from Rasmussen.
Less than a minute before the final buzzer sounded, the Thunder would answer the Pontiacs’ last goal, tying the game once more.
Fortunately, the Pontiacs managed to take control of the shootout and put up another home ice win.
During Sunday afternoon’s game, the home team brought the heat against the Fort McMurray Oil Barrons coming out with a decisive 5-3 victory.
In the first period, both Rasmussen and Schmidt put up points for the home team, however, the period would end in a 2-2 tie. Rasmussen found the net with the help of Tamburro and Hipkin, while Schmidt received a hand from Atwill.
Russell was the only player on either team to find the net during the second period. He was assisted by Alex Power and Barker.
Breaking a third period tie, Matteo Giampa earned the Pontiacs’ fourth goal of the night with a pass from Nick Traggio and Russell.
Returning to the ice after healing an injury, Justin Stathopoulos would further separate the score with an empty net goal following a pass from Danis.
Currently, the Bonnyville Pontiacs sit in fourth place in the AJHL’s overall standings just five points behind the Oil Barons.
As the Bonnyville Pontiacs prepare for the remainder of the season leading into the playoffs, several new players have joined the Pontiacs’ bench, while veteran players returned to the ice after experiencing injuries earlier in the season.
Finalizing their roster, the Pontiacs have acquired Cole Hipkin, Noah Heinrich and Alex Danis.
Hipkin joins the teams after transferring from the Collingwood Blues, an Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) team.
Heinrich, a Pontiacs affiliate player, was brought up from the Okanogan Hockey Academy (OHA) Edmonton to play the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
The Pontiacs other most recent roster addition is the Calgary-born player Danis, who only weeks ago was wearing a Fort McMurray Oil Barons jersey.
Also returning to the ice after facing an injury is Pontiacs’ veteran Justin Stathopoulos. Pontiacs’ Michael Fairfax and Ethan Sundar are also anticipated to return to the ice soon after injuries sidelined the players earlier this season.
“We're excited with lies ahead for us and we are not so concerned on winning games. We're just concerned on making sure that we put it all together,” Head Coach Rick Swan told Lakeland This Week.
