After splitting a pair of games in Tofield, the Bonnyville Sr. Pontiacs are poised to win their first ever Battle River Hockey League title on home ice.
Bonnyville dropped a heart breaker in overtime Saturday night losing 4-3 in Tofield, before bouncing back with a dominant 5-1 win on Sunday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead as the league Championship series shifts back to Bonnyville.
“It was a great response in game four. We had a tough loss where we gave up a lead in game three with a chance to go up 3-0 (in the series). Those can sometimes be hard to digest,” said Chad Mercier.
Ty Carey led the Bonnyville attack against the Satellites on Friday night scoring a pair of goals in the games first 20 seconds.
The quick strike from Carey kept the Pontiacs in front for the majority of the game.
Marc Tessier got Tofield on the board with 1:33 left in the first period, to send the home side into the break down a goal.
Bonnyville would score the lone goal of the second period with Cody May picking up a tally in the final five minutes of the frame.
Bonnyville carried a 3-1 lead into the second intermission and looked like they were in control of the game, but the wheels fell off in the third.
Tofield's Josh McDonald and Chris Dawn scored goals seven minutes apart in the third period to tie the game and send it to an extra frame.
In overtime the Satellites continued to press the Pontiacs. Jake Quast sent the Satellites' home victorious beating Bonnyville netmider Josh Paul with 1:37 remaining in overtime.
The bad blood carried over from game two as both teams continued to fill up the penalty box. Tofield finished the game 1 for 11 on the powerplay while Bonnyville went 0 for 12.
“Looking at our powerplay the opportunities have been there. We have created opportunities off of it and eventually it is going to break loose,” said Mercier. “We were around 50 per cent (on the powerplay) in the first series. I think we have done a good job. You have to give their goaltender some credit and we just have to bear down and convert on some of those opportunities.”
After a day off the two teams were back at it in Tofield on Sunday evening. The Pontiacs burst out to another quick start, and this time they were able to hold onto it.
“Our guys started the game really, really determined and it carried on for sixty minutes,” said Mercier.
Logan Isley notched a pair of goals in the games first five minutes to put Bonnyville up 2-0 in the early going. Lucas Isley and Niko Bourget scored before the period was up sending Bonnyville into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Both teams would go on to score in the second period and that was all the offense the game would see.
Bonnyville held on for the 5-1 victory and grabbed a 3-1 series lead.
“We have put ourselves in the position to win a league championship at home, yet the approach of our guys has always been to keep it in check and keep it where it needs to be,” said Mercier. “There is some excitement but we are not putting the cart ahead of the horse by any stretch there is still a lot of work to close this series off.”
Game 5 will be back in Bonnyville on Friday night at the RJ Lalonde Arena. Puck drop is set for 9 p.m.
