After picking up a pair of road victories to open the series the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs hold a 2-0 series stranglehold over the Lloydminster Bobcats. Bonnyville edged out Lloydminster in the opening game of the series on Friday night winning 3-2.
After picking up a pair of road victories to open the series the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs hold a 2-0 series stranglehold over the Lloydminster Bobcats.
Bonnyville edged out Lloydminster in the opening game of the series on Friday night winning 3-2. The Pontiacs then used a potent powerplay to topple the Bobcats 4-1 on Saturday night.
"We know that those guys are well coached and that they are not going to give up anything to you. Anything you do get, you have to earn. Luckily we were able to get on the scoreboard with the powerplay," said Bonnyville Head Coach and GM Rick Swan.
The Pontiacs got on the board first in the opening period of game one due to a late powerplay tally. Mitch Fritz was wide open at the side of the net and jumped all over the rebound of a Bobby McMann shot, beating Bobcat netminder Devin Green with 11 seconds left in the period.
Bonnyville added to their lead midway through the second period when Evan Warmington blasted a one-timer past the blocker of Green.
The third period saw the Bonnyville-Lloydminster rivalry kick as more intensity and hatred was added to the game. More and more scrums started happening after the play, causing the officials to single out players and dish out penalties.
"It was definitely electric," said Pontiacs forward Steenn Pasichnuk. "Both teams came out banging bodies and wanted to win this game as much as possible. I think we weathered the storm, overcame what they had to throw at us and just played a really good game."
The Bobcats were able to get some life early in the final frame when Taylor Allan whacked a rebound short side on Troy Trombley. The goal at 5:48 of the third brought the home side within one.
Bonnyville didn't let the goal get to them and pushed right back. Seven minutes later Kyler Hehn broke down the left wing and ripped a wrist shot past Green to give Bonnyville the 3-1 lead.
Although the Bobcats would get another goal at 14:14, it wasn't enough and Bonnyville held on for the win.
Powerplays were the story on Saturday night as the two teams met for the second game of the series. Four of the five goals scored in the game would come on the man-advantage.
The lone even strength goal came just seven minutes into the game when Ryan Symington was the lucky recipient of a strange bounce off the end boards and slipped the puck past a confused Green.
The Pontiacs powerplay then went to work and added to the teams lead just over five minutes later. The rebound of a Warmington shot found the stick of McMann, who then tapped the puck into the back of the net.
The visitors held a 2-0 lead after the first frame; a period, which saw them dominate Lloydminster 10-3 in the shot column.
An early goal off a rocket from Braiden Doucette just 1:14 into the second frame put the Bobcats in an even deeper whole, one they would not be able to climb out of.
Hehn would score in the third to extend Bonnyville's lead to 4-0, before Zac Giroux got one back for the home side.
Over the course of the two games Trombley was able to limit Lloydminster to just three goals, making a ton of brilliant saves.
"Trombley is a difference maker. He is an MVP guy," said Swan. "As long as he is our best player, or close to our best player every night, we will have an opportunity to win. That is why Troy is here. He gives us quality starts."
The two road victories gives the Pontiacs a commanding lead as the series shifts back to Bonnyville for a pair of games.
Due to an early press deadline the scores from Monday nights Game 3 could not make it to print. Game 4 is set for Tuesday night (March 17) at the RJ Lalonde Arena.
