It seems like every time the Grande Prairie Storm visit Bonnyville fans are treated to entertaining hockey, with the Jr. A Pontiacs typically coming out on top – and the back-to-back games this past weekend were no exception.
In three trips to the R.J. Lalonde Arena last season, the Storm were sent home with two shutout losses and a 3-1 defeat at the hand of the Pontiacs, with the referees handing out over 100 penalty minutes in the Jan. 28 game.
In the back-to-back games this past weekend, the Storm were able to avoid being shutout in Bonnyville. The Pontiacs had no trouble finding the back of the net, however, winning 5-2 Friday and 6-3 Saturday.
Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier said both teams came to play this weekend, making for some exciting hockey.
“It was a battle here this weekend. At times we were all over them, then there were times where they came back hard at us,” he explained. “There was some good, hard, fast hockey out there and I think it's a testament of our team's drive and effort that we came out on top.”
The Pontiacs opened the scoring Friday, late in the first period, when co-captain Kevin Carthy netted a short-handed goal for his seventh of the season.
After being out-shot 14-8 in the first period, the Pontiacs came out with a purpose in the second, putting 21 shots on net and getting a pair of goals from forward Tanner Dusyk and one from Tommy Barszcz.
The Storm added two of its own in the second to make it 4-2 heading into the final frame.
Newcomer Keith Csizmadia scored his first as a Pontiac into the open net after receiving a feed from Carthy, icing the game with a minute left.
A more frustrated Storm squad came to play Saturday and at first the frustration seemed to be working for them, as Grande Prairie netted two quick goals on just four shots.
Mercier made the switch in goal, putting Curtis Honey in and replacing starter Dylan Wells.
“I think Dylan would certainly like the first one back,” said Mercier. “Sometimes when you make a goalie move it's not so much for the goalie as it is for the players. And I think the message our guys got was, ‘our goalies have been so good for us all year, it's time we go out and get one for them.' ”
This was the first time all season a Pontiacs goalie was pulled and the switch seemed to awaken the Pontiacs.
Sixteen-year-old Logan Harland netted his third goal of the season late in the first period to make it 2-1 and then the Pontiacs really turned it on in the second.
Dusyk scored his 16th goal of the season a minute in, before Levi Ansell scored one short-handed off a feed from twin brother Dallas to make it 3-2.
Grande Prairie stormed back before the end of the period, jamming one in with just over two minutes to go in the frame to tie it up.
The Pontiacs responded in the third with another outburst of offence, as Austen Hebert, Harland and Barszcz all tweaked the twine.
Following the game, Mercier commended Hebert and Harland for their consistent effort and their contributions on offence.
Hebert said hard work and attention to detail have been the keys to the game.
“It's been the details of our game that's brought us success,” said Hebert. “We just keep getting pucks out, getting pucks deep, getting hits when we can, just wearing down the opponent. And when pucks go in for our line, it's a bonus.”
The third period was also filled with physical play, as Dillon Currie and Colton Waltz both laid out Storm players with open-ice hits.
The game ended with animosity, making for a potentially heated affair when the Storm once again return to Bonnyville Dec. 21.
But before that, the Pontiacs will hit the road this week for a four-game road trip. The southern swing starts Wednesday in Calgary against the Mustangs. The trip continues with a game Thursday in Olds before returning to Calgary to face the Canucks Saturday. The road trip concludes with a matchup Sunday in Drumheller against the Dragons.
The Pontiacs now sit alone in fourth in the AJHL's North Division with 49 points, one back of the Lloydminster Bobcats and 15 back of the league-leading Spruce Grove Saints, though the Pontiacs have three games in hand over the Saints.?
