The Saddle Lake Warriors managed to pick up an important three points last week, but the marathon of hockey that saw them compete four times in five days was certainly no easy task.
“The third day (in a row), you’ve just got to hope the boys can come and play,” said Warriors head coach Darryl Buck. “It’s hard, banging and crashing two days in a row and then coming in for a third day.”
The Warriors met two harsh defeats in a four-game stretch, losing 7-0 to the Cold Lake Ice on Friday and 7-2 to the Vermilion Tigers on Sunday. But they also put out two of their strongest performances to date in Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss and Saturday’s 4-1 victory against the Vegreville Rangers.
“We’ve been having slow starts right out of the gate. We came out flat-footed (on Sunday), they got a quick two goals,” said Warriors captain Cole Steinhauer, who added that despite the tough losses, he is optimistic about the current direction of the team. “We’ve picked up from where we were . . . We’re staying positional, that’s what it comes down to.”
The Warriors’ recent strengths were demonstrated in their two games against Vegreville last week. On Wednesday, the Warriors fell to the Rangers in a shootout, despite mounting a spirited comeback to force overtime. When it came to the rubber match three days later, Saddle Lake picked up the slack and got their revenge in Vegreville.
“The boys played really well. (Saturday’s) game was a totally different team, our team was more disciplined, more hungry for the win. They played the system that should have been played,” Buck said. “We need every point we can get, and every time you win, it brings confidence to the players.”
The rematch was a strong test of the Warriors’ resolve, as they were forced yet again to come from behind after Randall Ziegler put the Rangers ahead with a first period power play goal.
A few minutes following the Rangers’ go-ahead goal, Warriors leading scorer Tyler Haineault decided to take the game onto his stick, and added a hat trick with two goals in the first period and another in the third to lift his team to victory. Isaiah Cardinal added a fourth unanswered goal for the Warriors in the dying minutes of the third to put the game out of reach.
“I’m just happy to be contributing when I can,” Haineault said, adding that the whole team’s effort has improved. “We’re playing better hockey than ever lately. The team’s really coming together, we’re all playing for each other and representing Saddle Lake.”
Buck noted that the performance of goaltender Dyllon Laboucan has been a big part of the Warriors’ recent success. Laboucan made 44 saves to lead the Warriors to victory over the Rangers on Saturday night.
“He stood on his head (versus Vegreville),” Buck said, adding he has seen a positive change in the whole team’s attitude over the past few weeks. “The boys are starting to bond as a team and they’re starting to believe in themselves, that they can win, and that means a lot.”
The shootout loss and regulation victory earned the Warriors a very important three points that boosts them one point ahead of their rival and next opponent, the St. Paul Canadiens.
“We feel all right about (the week), we could have had another two wins but that’s all right. We play St. Paul on Friday and we’re looking for two points,” Haineault said. “We’re going to come out hard; we’re not going to take St. Paul lightly, we’ll treat them like any other team.”
