The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs picked up three points over the weekend after a tough double-header.
The Pontiacs split their back-to-back games with an overtime loss and a triumph against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
The local team is now sitting second in the AJHL north division standings, just one point behind the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
“It’s going to be a dog fight right to the very end of our season,” expressed head coach Rick Swan. “We want home ice advantage (for playoffs), and that’s what we’re trying to play for.”
Overtime loss
The Pontiacs fell 4-3 to the Oil Barons in overtime in their first matchup on Saturday, Jan. 19.
It was Pontiac Garin Butler that broke the 0-0 standoff in the second frame with a goal less than one minute in.
Fort McMurray would tie it up on a powerplay shortly after.
Breaking the 1-1 score was Pontiac Marc-Antoine Benoit.
Building off of the home team’s lead, Jeremy Gervais added another point to the scoreboard with a powerplay goal less than three minutes into the third.
Fort McMurray caught up to Bonnyville with two goals of their own, finishing the final frame 3-3.
In the end, the Oil Barons would capitalize in overtime, ending the night with a final 4-3 victory.
“We have to be a lot smarter, and there was just a lot of things that we gave them. It’s not necessarily something that Fort McMurray worked to get,. They capitalized on our mistakes and that’s what good teams do, they take advantage of mistakes that we have to get better at,” detailed Swan.
Pontiac Daine Dubois said, “It wasn’t bad for us, but there was just a couple of different breakdowns that cost us.”
Pontiacs finish with a win
Determined to finish the weekend with a win, the Pontiacs defeated the Oil Barons 5-2 on Sunday, Jan. 20.
Less than five minutes were on the clock when Dubois capitalized on a powerplay.
“We had a way better effort all around. It was a good bounce back game,” Dubois noted.
Fort McMurray tied it up before the end of the first frame.
Pontiac Joel Ray added his name to the scoresheet less than four minutes into the second, followed by another point from Grayson Constable.
Before the end of the second period, Luke Albert found the back of the net, extending Bonnyville’s lead 4-1.
Fort McMurray added to the scoreboard at the top of the third, but regardless of their efforts, wouldn’t capitalize again for the rest of the night.
The final goal of the game was scored by Noah Lugli.
“It was a really good bounce back from (the first game),” Constable said. “We came out strong... and came up by a few. They came back in the third with a quick goal, but that didn’t stop us and we netted two more just to satisfy the victory.”
With the end of the season quickly approaching, Swan noted the team has to put their best foot forward every time they hit the ice.
“We know that every game has to be played with 60 minutes, and with less than 18 games left in the season, we have to make sure that we’re improving and working hard every day to trend upwards. That’s where we want to be, is trending upwards.”
The Pontiacs next home game is Wednesday, Jan. 23 against the Sherwood Park Crusaders. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. at the R.J. Lalonde Arena.
