Saints Pull Out The 2-1 Win in Game 2

After a close overtime victory on Saturday night the Saints reconvened with the Bonnyville Pontiacs at the Grant Fuhr Arena Sunday evening.  The Pontiacs took the Saints to overtime and almost pulled out a victory so their moral and confidence had to be strong entering Sundays contest.  The Saints wanted to add a little grit to the line up so Shawn Rolling and Tim Nolte were injected to add to the physical element.  The additions seemed to work as the Nolte, Rolling, and Keizer line were the most effective combination in the first period.  They had the Pontiacs defence on the run and looking over their shoulder every time they went into the corner.  The line was rewarded for their hard work and tenacity near the end of the first period when the three line mates spread themselves out three wide on an odd man rush and a pass from Nolte was finished off by Josh Keizer to make it a 1-0 game.  That would cap off a relatively uneventful first period.  The Saints were forced to kill off three penalties and were denied an opportunity for a man advantage.

The previous game was riddled with penalties which killed the flow of the play; this was the case for game 2 as well.  The Saints took five penalties before the Pontiacs sent one to the box.  The Saints would gain some momentum and create high-quality chances then were sent to the box which enabled the Pontiacs to stay within striking distance.  The Pontiacs were unable to capitalize on any of their man advantages which would hurt them considerably since they had a total of seven opportunities throughout the game.  All goals would come regular strength including the Saints second goal which would come off a scramble.  The puck would bounce off the end boards behind the net and come out front where Adam Henderson would snap it into the net as Julien Laplante dived to try and make the save.  Now 2-0 the Saints had to kill a couple more penalties before the Pontiacs got on the board.  A seemingly innocent play behind the net turned into the first goal of the game for the Pontiacs.  The always hard working Kevin Carthy chased down Kodie Curran on the fore check, Curran was able to evade Carthy but made a reverse pass behind the net to where he though his D partner was.  To the surprise of Curran and Vincenzo Marozzi, Carthy was still behind the net; he picked up the puck and circled to the front of the net sliding it past the sprawling Marozzi.  The second period continued on with a less than spectacular pace.  The game was to be won in the trenches.  Along the boards in the corners, whoever wins the gritty battles comes out with the scoring chances, a sure change from the usual high flying speed we see from the Saints.  The second period ended with a 2-1 score, both teams remember the night before when a goal with eight seconds left sent the game to overtime so in the third period anything could happen.

The third began with the same tune as the rest of the game, a Saints penalty.  Malcolm Tomlinson got a little over aggressive and got his hands up on a Pontiacs forward.  So once again the Saints went to the penalty kill.  The Saints showed their defensive capabilities by killing off three more penalties in the third period.  The one sidedness of the penalties seemed odd as the two referee system has been implemented and every Saints penalty was called by one of the officials.  Never the less the Saints were able to kill off all seven man advantages for the Pontiacs and hold on to the 2-1 score for their second win of the series.  The Saints travel to Bonnyville Tuesday for the first of two games that will be played at the R.J. Lalonde Arena.  If the Pontiacs can get a win at home the series will shift back to Spruce Grove Friday night.

By Travis Ziegler

 Saints Win a Close One

The Saints took to the ice of Grant Fuhr Arena for their first taste of playoff action.  The Bonnyville Pontiacs were in town to try and knock off the number one seeded Saints.  The Saints won the season series six games to none so they are favoured to take the series.  But the Pontiacs aren’t the team they were all year.  Some key returns have changed the complexion of the team and they are showed it coming down the stretch. 

The Saints hit the ice hard after having close to two weeks off.  After finding their skates they the Saints took control of the play and began dominating the Pontiacs in their own zone.  The hard fore check from the Saints forwards stymied the Pontiacs efforts to clear the puck or gain any momentum.  The First Period was all Saints as they put up 17 shots to the Pontiacs 5.  Julien Laplante stood tall for Bonnyville turning aside every shot in the period.  There would be no scoring going into the first intermission; the Saints couldn’t find a way past Laplante and the Pontiacs looked reluctant to make a mistake.

The second period saw both teams open up and use the rush to generate scoring chances.  The pace was quick when it wasn’t interrupted by penalties a total of 14 minutes in penalties were shared between the two teams.  Two back to back penalties to Shawn Bates and Donnie Harris gave the Saints a two man advantage.  With lots of room to move around the Pontiacs zone the Saints set up and Josh Lazowski teed up the puck for Ryan Kerr who fired it through traffic and into the back of the net to open the scoring.  1-0 would be the score going into the third period a surprising statistic considering the amount of powerplays dished out in the period.

The third period saw the penalties continue as both teams paraded to the sin bin.  Despite the penalties no goals would come on the powerplay.  Mathew Registar would carry the puck into the Saints zone, circle around the net while protecting the puck and once in the high slot he would turn and fire a wrist shot over the glove of Travis Rolheiser to tie the game.  Play would continue with a 1-1 tie until the final minute.  Saints would control the puck down low in the Pontiacs zone, Josh Koper while in the corner with his back to the net fed a no look back hand pass across the crease to a wide open Carson Cooper who would score his first of the playoffs.  With less than a minute left the evening’s crowd was sure the Saints had sealed their first victory of the post season. But the Bonnyville Pontiacs weren’t finished; as time winded down a loose puck in the neutral zone would be picked up by Lucas Isley who would take it into the Saints zone and feed an open Shawn Bates who snapped the puck off the post and past Rolheiser with 8 seconds left. 

A stunned crowd sat silent during the short intermission, an unlikely turn of events that resembled the Olympic gold medal game.  The Saints, like team Canada, had to refocus and shake off the late tying goal.  Extra time was needed to decide the first game of round two.  Unlike regular season overtime is 5 on 5 and only a ten minute period.  Both teams would come out flying while being conscious not to make a mistake.  A good overtime period that saw chances being exchanged both ways.  Dante Borrelli would take a high sticking penalty and give the Saints a great opportunity to win the game but steady penalty killing from the Pontiacs got them out of trouble.  With the period winding down it looked like a second overtime period would be needed to decide the fate of game one.  With one minute left Josh Koper would make his way down the ice Alex Grill Donovan would stumble giving Koper a clear break but Donnie Harris would catch up just in time to get a stick on the puck and put it into the corner. Koper would get the puck back to the point where Kodie Curran would fire a puck on net and Koper who made his way to the front of the net would tip the puck through the legs of Laplante for the game winning goal.

A tough battle decided by an overtime goal sets the stage for Sunday’s matchup.  Both teams will have to recuperate and be ready to go again real quick. 

 by Travis Ziegler

Saints close out Spectacular season with Superb win

The Saints entered their last game of the regular season knowing that five league records could be broken, and no time was wasted becoming closer to the achievement.  The Saints controlled the play from the first minute.  In the Crusader zone they controlled the puck and passed it back to Dillon Simpson who faked a shot on net, he then spanked a slap pass to Brett Cameron who put it through the legs of goaltender Matt Esposito for a 1-0 lead.  Their hard work continued to reward them in the form of powerplays.  The Crusaders took 4 minor penalties in the first period but were only able to kill off three.  The puck was moved back to the point where Malcolm Tomlinson slid it over to Ryan Kerr, Kerr snapped a pass to Scott Allen who was waiting back door and finished off the play.  The powerplay goal came with just under four minutes to play in the first period.  The Saints managed 16 shots on goal in the first frame while Sherwood Park could only muster 3.  The intermission served as a regroup period for the Crusaders as they wanted to have a better showing than what commenced in the first period. 

The second period did not start the way Sherwood Park had hoped.  Matt Esposito would fire the puck inches above the glass and take a delay of game penalty which was the Park’s fifth infraction of the game.  The Saints were unable to generate any quality scoring chances on the powerplay due to shots coming from the outside of the zone.  At the 2:48 mark of the period it was the Saints turn to play a man short handed, Shaun Rolling would take a holding penalty which gave the Cru an opportunity to get back in the game.  Travis Rolheiser would stand tall and direct all chances away from his net despite some close calls.  Penalties would go back and forth throughout the period including a double minor to D’Lane Sather for high-sticking; however either team was unable to convert with the man advantage or even strength.

The third period is where the Saints began to run away with the game.  Immediately after the double minor which carried over from the second had been killed off, the Saints won the draw in the Crusaders zone, Carson Cooper put the puck on net where it bounced to Bryce Van Brabant who dived to put the puck over the line.  At the five minute mark of the third period the shots were 40-11 in favour of the Saints.  The Crusaders just didn’t have any jump in their step as the Saints stole the show in the Crusaders last regular season home game.  Scott Allen would add to the lead when Jesse Slobodian would headman a pass to him in the neutral zone, Allen split two defenders with a toe drag and walked in alone on Esposito and sniped the biscuit blocker side.  The Saints would put the icing on the cake with a second powerplay goal.  Jeffery Houghton would go to the bench for a holding penalty and the Saints powerplay would go to work.  Only thirteen seconds into the man advantage the Saints would work the puck around the perimeter of the Crusaders zone before sliding it to Dillon Simpson who would blast it through a crowd and into the back of the net for the fifth and final goal of the game.  The Saints would win the contest with a convincing 5-0 shellacking.  However the win would come at a price, a clearing attempt from Jesse Slobodian in the final seconds would hit Bryce Van Brabant in the face sending him to the ice.  Bryce could not leave the ice on his own power, so the remaining time in the game was run out.  Bryce was looked at by paramedics however his status is still unknown.  The victory was an immense accomplishment for the Saints record wise, but was over shadowed by their fallen teammate and friend. 

The Saints finish the year as regular season champs and are looking forward to round 2 of the AJHL playoffs where they will make their 2010 post season debut.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints do it again in Overtime

For the second time in two games the Saints had to use extra time to claim victory.  In front of a crowd of over 900 fans the Saints once again managed to pull out a win in sudden death.  Wednesday night’s game saw the Saints score a powerplay goal only a minute into the extra frame. Friday night was a bit more of a challenge.  The score was knotted at 3 after regulation time and the Pontiacs Marc-Antoine Juneau was in the penalty box for an interference penalty taken at the end of the third.  With the man advantage the Saints had a great opportunity to finish the game the same way they did Wednesday night.  The difference maker was Bonnyville’s stingy penalty kill that enabled them to escape being a man short without dropping the game.  Due to Ryan Kerr serving ten minute misconduct for dropping his gloves in a scrum, his heavy shot from the point could not be utilized.  Malcolm Tomlinson was given the opportunity to mimic his fellow defenseman by winning the game with a shot from the point.  Tomlinson absolutely hammered a one-timer that would ring off the crossbar and almost dent the steel, but the puck would stay out of the net.  The first overtime would solve nothing, both teams would have some quality scoring chances but both goaltenders would be up to the task.  The second overtime would have the teams battle for the win in a 3 vs. 3 showdown.  The Saints chose to start Josh Lazowski, Brett Switzer, and Wes McLeod against the Pontiac’s Jordon Krankowsky, Michael Westfall, and Shawn Bates.  The two groups would attempt to get to the net but were very careful to not let up on defence.  Both teams would change and the Saints would gain control in the Pontiacs zone.  A hit on Ross Herzog would send his helmet to the ice, Herzog not wanting to risk taking a penalty went to his bench which created a 3 on 2 in favour of the Saints.  Jordan Draper would drive out of the corner and try to jam the puck in the net.  The puck would come loose in the crease and Kodie Curran would bang in the game winner that preceded a roar from the larger than usual Saints crowd.

Shawn Bates, Lucas Isley and Tyler Henry were the goal scorers for the Pontiacs but game star would go to Tyler Rimmer who started in place of Julien Laplante.  Rimmer made 45 saves on 49 shots.   Adam Henderson was key to the Saints victory as he potted two goals and played a solid all around game.  Henderson was one of the Saints that could find a way to put a puck past Tyler Rimmer; he gave his insight on what to do when facing a hot goalie.

“there’s not much you can do, you can’t score if you don’t shoot, basically all you can do is keep firing shots, we had 50 shots tonight and only scored 4 goals sometimes it works out that way sometimes you score 8 goals on 50 shots, you can’t score if you don’t shoot on a hot goalie like that.”

Friday’s game was the last regular season game at the Grant Fuhr Arena the boys lace up the skates one more time before they enter the bye week.  Sunday the 21st in Sherwood Park the Saints take on the Crusaders.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Squeak One Out

 The Spruce Grove Saints vs. The Lloydminster Bobcats, a game that on paper looked quite one sided.  1st vs. 7th, Successful special teams vs. Struggling special teams, goalie of the year candidate vs. Backup.  All signs were pointing to a blowout victory for the Saints; however the Bobcats had other ideas. 

The Saints would get off to a strong start they quickly directed the puck into the Bobcats zone where they would administer their potent fore check.  For the first couple minutes the Saints were in control and the Bobcats were hard pressed to gain any sort of momentum.  The solid saves from Joel Miller gave the Bobcats an opportunity to refocus and get back to their game plan.  After the early surge from the Saints the Bobcats slowed play down immensely, both teams stood up the rush at the blue line which caused much of the first period to be played in the neutral zone.  A total of only 13 shots were registered by the two teams in the first frame. The Bobcat’s intention to slow the Saints offense seemed to work as the Saints and Bobcats would sit scoreless after twenty minutes.

After a slow first the Saints were expected to come out and fire on all cylinders, and fire they did.  The Saints would spend extended periods of time in the offensive zone mustering solid scoring chances.  Some shots went wide some off the post but most were snatched by Bobcat’s goaltender Joel Miller who wanted to show Bobcat brass that he is the man for the post season.  Numerous times Miller bailed out his teammates with timely saves.  He was pelted with 12 quality shots in the second frame turning them away with confidence.  The Bobcat’s slow playing combine with Miller’s efforts were proving to be effective against the powerful Saints offense. An unexpected tie going into the third period set the stage for an interesting finish.

The third period picked up where the last two finished, relatively slow and drudgingly.  The Bobcats were using a 1-2-2 fore check which eases pressure on the opposing defenseman but is an effective defensive tactic.  The Bobcats were making sure they took care of their own zone before trying to put points on the board.  The Saints would still find a way to get pucks to the net; Miller would face 16 shots in the third period doing everything necessary to keep his team in the game.  The Bobcats would reward their battling goaltender on the powerplay.  Erik Toews would drive around the net and hurl a centering feed toward the crease, the puck would be redirected off a shin pad and past Travis Rolheiser for the first goal of the game.  Now half way through the 3rd period and down a goal the Saints had to find a way to get past the defensive play of the Bobcats and get one past Miller who looked close to unbeatable through the game.  The final minute approached and Rolheiser made his way to the bench, with the extra attacker the Saints piled it on and hammered the puck at the net.  Simpson and Curran manned the blue line while Jordan Draper, Josh Lazowski, Nate Fleming and Adam Henderson worked the puck down low.  Simpson fed Curran who blasted the puck from the point and Jordan Draper directed the puck through a crowd and past Miller with 30 seconds to play.

Tied at one the teams and the crowd had an opportunity to get a quick breather and refocus for overtime.  Josh Keizer and Brett Switzer would start the overtime period up front, the two are known for their hard work and defensive abilities.  They would gain the Bobcat zone and keep the puck in deep.  Due to hard work, at the one minute mark of overtime Cooper Limb would take a hooking penalty much to the disgust of Head Coach Brian Curran.  Not even 20 seconds later Josh Lazowski would tee up the puck for Ryan Kerr on a set play and Kerr would HAMMER the puck top corner for the win.  The crowd of only 600 sounded like a full house and the Saints rushed to congratulate their overtime hero.  Joel Miller left the ice visibly frustrated but could hold his head high after his effort between the pipes.

Ryan Kerr sporting a new haircut was the man of the hour, finishing the game and extending the winning streak for the Saints.  Although he scored the winning goal he credits his teammate for the set up.

“Lazowski passes the puck better than anybody else in the league I think, so it’s pretty easy to get a good one-timer off his pass so I saw it coming and let it rip.”

The Saints will play their final home game on Friday the 19th against the Bonnyville Pontiacs. Head down to Grant Fuhr Arena to take in the action.

By Travis Ziegler

Family Day Fun for Saints

Thanks to the AJHL icing all sixteen teams on Family Day Monday; it was a great day for junior hockey in Alberta.  The holiday kicked off the final week of regular season action for the 2009/2010 season.  Key matchups saw teams fighting for playoff position either lose or gain ground on their division rivals.  The Olds Grizzlys, Calgary Canucks, Brooks Bandits, and Canmore Eagles all sat within four points of each other going into Monday’s games.  In the North, the St. Albert Steel sat two points back of the Bonnyville Pontiacs for fifth place, and a four point game between the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Sherwood Park Crusaders could have the teams squared up at 73pts or give the Barons some valuable separation for the remaining games this season.  The playoff race has heated up, however for the Saints Monday’s game against Drayton Valley was business as usual.  With no threat to their playoff position, and the Thunder sitting well out of playoff contention, the game was somewhat meaningless.  Win or lose the Saints would still be atop the league and Northern Division, and Drayton would remain last place in both respects. 

They may have been facing the last place team but the Saints still had to have their wits about them.  Losing to a struggling club so late in the year would be disheartening and an abysmal way to head into the last week before playoffs.  On the other hand the Thunder would love to knock off the first place club and have a high point as they will be finished on February 20th.  The game started with a quick pace in front of 500 Thunder Faithfull.  Both teams had some jump and wanted to get on the board early.  The first opportunity on the man advantage went to Drayton Valley after Josh Lazowski would take a tripping call at 6:42 of the period.  The Saints wouldn’t  wait to kill the penalty before putting the puck in the net. Liam Darragh would make a nice chip on the half wall to get the puck out, Brett Switzer would use his speed to pick up the puck in the neutral zone and blow past a defender before sliding the puck five hole for the Saints 7th shorthanded goal of the season.  The Saints would keep the pressure on and continue to attack the Thunder goal.  Scott Allen would streak down the right wing and at the top of the circle cut in for a shot; the rebound would come to a driving Josh Keizer who would hammer it through Thunder goaltender Braely Torris.  After eleven minutes of play shots were 9-1 in favour of the Saints who were just beginning to roll.  Kodie Curran would take a shot from the point which would bounce to Dillon Simpson who was waiting on the doorstep, and he would put it away for a 3-0 lead.  Before the end of the period the Saints would add one more as a two on one gave Josh Keizer his second of the game.  After one period the outcome was as expected, the Saints had a 14-4 lead in shots and a 4 goal lead. 

The second period began with a tilt between Saints rookie Tyler Hart and the Thunder’s James Friedel, Friedel would land a convincing right on the chin of Hart that would send him to the ice, Hart would get back up and show some “heart” but the decision would go to Friedel.  The scrap seemed to spark the Thunder and give them some momentum.  Benji Rubin would pick up a loose puck at the Saints blue line and step into a snap shot that would beat Vincenzo Marozzi over the glove.  The Saints wanted to kill any momentum that was being accumulated by the Thunder and the best way to do so is to put another one in the net and that’s just what they did.  Josh Keizer would center the puck from the corner and no defender would pick up Kodie Curran who came in from the point to pot his 8th goal of the campaign.  The onslaught would continue this time on the powerplay.  Jordan Draper would gain the zone and fire a shot off the pads of Braely Torris; Draper would wrangle his own rebound and smack the puck short side top corner to increase the lead to 6-1.  Referee Craig Domke would give the fans at the Omni-Plex something to cheer for after he motioned toward center ice for a penalty shot due to Jesse Slobodian tripping Jordan Martinook while on a break.  Martinook would go in on Marozzi at half speed and snipe low blocker to make it a 6-2 game.

The second, like the first, would end in a 4 goal differential.  The Thunder came out in the third with some more energy; they mustered some chances but couldn’t beat Marozzi who looked comfortable with the four goal lead.  The Saints would add some comfort on the powerplay as shots would rain down on goaltender Braely Torris from all corners of the Thunder zone.  A shot from Jesse Slobodian would bounce off the back boards and land on the stick of Kodie Curran who would score his second of the night.  The third period was relatively uneventful due to the Saints being in complete control and the Thunder accepting their fate.  Brett Switzer would add his second of the night with 15 seconds to go in the contest.  The game would end with a final score of 8-2 in favour of the Saints. Josh Keizer was named game star thanks to his 5 point performance.  He gave his thoughts on the holiday matchup. 

“We just wanted to come in here have a good game, a solid game, we knew they are below us in the standings but we are getting prepped for playoffs and we just need to be battling.”

When asked about a few key members sitting out due to suspensions Keizer had this to say about his team.

“We’ve got more than enough players willing to step in and fill roles so it’s not even a problem.  We’re just looking towards playoffs and having everyone firing.”

The Saints will suit up again Wednesday night against another struggling North division rival.  The Lloydminster Bobcats will enter the Grant Fuhr arena attempting to begin a streak before playoffs begin.  Puck drops at 7:30 hope to see you there.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Ride on the Storm

It was the sixth and final regular season battle between the first place Spruce Grove Saints (47-4-1-3) and the second place Grande Prairie Storm (37-15-1-2).  The previous five matchups saw the Saints walk away with the victory four times. The Storm would like to use a win against the Saints as a spring board into the remaining six games and the first round of playoffs.  The Saints, having locked up the first round bye would like to continue to take two points from their opponents even though their first round fate has been decided.

Despite the Olympic opening ceremonies being the story of the day in the sports world, a generous crowd gathered at the Canada Games Arena in anticipation of a future classic matchup between the two powerful clubs.  The Saints would go on the penalty kill early as Malcolm Tomlinson would take a hooking penalty just over two minutes into the game.  Immediately following the conclusion of Tomlinson’s penalty David Glen would sit for two minutes for a high sticking infraction.  The Saints put their #1 penalty kill to work and with some big help from Goaltender Travis Rolheiser, they managed to escape the four minutes shorthanded without any damage.  The Saints would use the momentum from the two kills to put the pressure on the Storm.  Grande Prairie Defenseman Josh Phillips would try a risky pass from deep in his own corner to his man in the high slot but Bryce Van Brabant would be Johnny on the spot intercepting the pass and scoring the first goal of the night. A few minutes later a brief fight between the Saint’s Liam Darragh and Storm’s Rodger Craig would be the only other highlight of the period as both teams would go into the break with a 1-0 score.

The second period began with a Zahn Raubenheimer hooking penalty one minute and nineteen seconds into the period. This also marked the point in time where the wheels fell off for the Grande Prairie storm.  With only ten seconds left in Raubenheimer’s penalty, Josh Lazowski would carry the puck through the neutral zone and into the Strom’s end untouched, a small delay at the blue line gave him enough room to hammer a blast past the right pad of goaltender Jared Andersen. Up 2-0 the Saints opened the flood gates and began a scoring assault on the Storms customary back-up goaltender Andersen who is in for the suspended Chad Carder.  The onslaught wouldn’t begin for another ten minutes when David Glen would muscle his way through a defender for a shot on goal, Glen would get his own rebound and center the puck where Jordan Draper was waiting to score his 21st goal of the year.  Storm Head Coach Matt Vandekamp would call a timeout to try and settle his team down and get them back on track.  The timeout didn’t seem to spark the team, shortly after Wes McLeod would mimic teammate Josh Lazowski and carry the puck through the neutral zone until he reached the opposing blue line and take a slap shot that would fool Andersen to make it 4-0.  A less than impressed crowd would be further anguished due to Adam Henderson breaking up a pass between defenseman and breaking in alone where a quick for hand back hand move would add to the Saints goal total. To add insult to injury the goal came shorthanded. Now 5-0 the Storm demoralized and without a timeout would find a way to answer back. A loose puck in front of the Saints net would be picked up by Travis Dunstall and fired over the glove of Travis Rolheiser.  This would turn out to be the lone goal that Storm fans would have the privilege of cheering for.

The Storm entered the third period down 5-1 in their home rink, I will give you three guesses as to what happened but the first two don’t count.  Ten seconds into the 3rd Ryan Kerr and Matt Williams squared off in an old fashion dust up.  Kerr was without a doubt given the winning decision as it was over before it started.  Fights were consistent throughout the period occurring every couple minutes. The last ten minutes were riddled with fighting majors as either team would back down from a challenge.  Saint’s players Adam Henderson, Tim Nolte, Bryce Van Brabant, Dillon Simpson, and Wes McLeod would be just some of the young men who had to step up to a challenge and settle an issue the way a hockey player knows how.  In the final 30 seconds a line brawl would commence which would put an exclamation point on the game.  Both teams would be slapped with game misconducts and fighting majors that will carry over into follow the following game.  The final buzzer would mark the score at 5-1, and the Saints would meet the 100 point marker for the second year in a row.  The Saints will attempt to continue their 9 game winning streak on Family day Monday when they travel to Drayton Valley to face off against the struggling Thunder.

 By Travis Ziegler

Saints Beat Pontiacs in all out Battle

This much anticipated match started with a quick pace as expected. The two teams needed no time to feel one another out as they have met two times in the last two weeks.  It would be the Pontiacs who strike first, Mathew Register would give the puck to Dillon Currie who jumped around Saints Defenseman Rory Connop and snapped the puck past the blocker of Vincenzo Marozzi.  Not to be out done the Saints would fire back; Adam Henderson would protect the puck along the half boards, turn and fire a chest high pass to Malcolm Tomlinson, Tomlinson would knock the puck down with his glove and immediately fire it on net where David Glen would gather the rebound a put it in the yawning cage. A scrappy first period saw penalties go each way; Denis Cadrin would take a hooking penalty just shy of the ten minute mark and put the Saints on the powerplay. The Saints would work the puck around the zone and Kodie Curran would attempt a cross ice pass to the back door but it would be redirected by David Glen’s foot and past Julien Laplante for his second of the evening.  The Pontiacs hard work would pay off a few minutes later when a battle at the Saints blue line was won by two Pontiac players, Dane Lindskog would take the puck in on Marozzi and wrist a backhand top corner.  A tough fought first period ended with just that a tough fight between Kodie Curran and Michael Westfall the bout would come to a draw.

The second period was even scrappier than the first; both teams took turns heading to the sin bin. The Saints would capitalize on the PP when Kodie Curran would blast a shot wide of the net, while Julien Laplante was in mid flop Brett Switzer would snap home the go ahead goal. Exactly a minute later Jordan Draper would spring Liam Darragh on a one on one. Darragh would side step a hit from Mathew Register and snipe his 12th goal of the season putting the Saints up 4-2.  In the last minute of play in the period Bonnyville would press with a couple of dangerous opportunities but the Saints as a unit would keep the puck out.  Once again the period ending buzzer served as the starting bell for the tilt that was about to commence.  Adam Henderson and Mathew Register had some words earlier in the period and decided they had talked enough and let their fists go to work.  A solid scrap saw punches land each way, the sound of knuckles to plastic could be heard throughout the arena as Henderson finished the job and went to the dressing room to the applause of his teammates.  

Emotions settled during the break and the teams got back to trying to score. That lasted for a whole four minutes.  It took a Tim Nolte charging penalty for both teams to remember that they were in a heated battle .  The timekeepers were the busiest men in the R.J. Lalonde Arena in this matchup as the teams continued the parade to the penalty box.  On a Saints powerplay Dillon Simpson recieved a pass from Josh Lazowski at the blueline and blasted the puck past Laplante to make it 5-2.  With the game out of reach liberties started to be taken and the game just got nastier.  After every whistle crowds would gather and fists would be thrown.  Referee James Sharun had a tough time keeping play under control but made the calls where calls were due.  The Saints added a late goal when Jordan Draper was sprung on a breakaway and made a nice fore-hand back-hand move around Laplante for a 6-2 lead. That would be the final score as the Saints go home with another two points and a 5-0 season series lead.  The two teams will do battle again on the 19th of February at the Grant Fuhr Arena.  Maybe after the next matchup there won’t be fans leaving the rink saying, “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!”  

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Visit Steel

The Saints were in the St. Albert Saturday night for their fourth game of the week.  The Saints went 3 for 3 during the week and came into Saturday night’s game wanting to continue their streak.  The Steel however would like to stymie the Saints and gain some ground on the Bonnyville Pontiacs.  The Steel came out hard and controlled a good portion of the play while producing some decent scoring chances. They were able to jump to a 1-0 lead when a Saints defenseman got caught in the offensive zone and a 3 on 1 developed with Bryce Williamson finishing off a cross crease feed.  The Saints didn’t take long to answer back, less than a minute later David Glen would gain the Steel zone, draw both defenders toward him, and hit Jordan Draper who was wide open for 20 feet in every direction. Draper’s quick release beat goaltender Chad Ketting on the blocker side to tie it up. An interference call on Alex Perkins put the Saints up a man, so they went to work on the powerplay.  Josh Lazowski placed himself at the top of the circles and fed Ryan Kerr for a one-timer, Kerr’s hard blast stayed along the ice and made it through traffic in front for the Saints lead.

The second period saw teams exchange scoring opportunities for the first ten minutes.  At 9:53 of the period Justin Morello turned on the jets and created a 2 on 1, Morello hit Taylor Fraser with nifty pass and Fraser put it top corner with authority.  The teams continued to battle in the second period, Spruce Grove may have been showing signs of fatigue as they looked somewhat out of sync through two periods. The teams would go into the second intermission tied 2-2.

The break seemed to be exactly what the Saints needed as they took the ice and looked refreshed and refocused.  They found their wheels and increased pressure on the fore check.  A shot from Kodie Curran was picked up by Scott Allen in front of the net and Allen wasted no time putting the Saints up a goal with twelve minutes to play in the third.  Less than a minute later a hard fore check from David Glen put the puck out front where Adam Henderson added some insurance to the lead.  The Steel would never recover from the back to back goals, and the Saints would add one more seal the deal.  The final score is deceiving since the Steel played a hard fought game and were the better team for a bit more than half the game.  The Saints found a way to summon the strength needed to pull out their fourth victory of the week. A task that Travis Rolheiser knows is hard to accomplish.

“It felt really good having an eight point week that’s something that not a lot of teams have the opportunity to do, playing not our best hockey through the first two periods and coming out in the third with a lot of energy and a lot of jump it was a real big win.”

Travis and the Saints head home Saturday night to get some much needed rest; they will hit the ice Monday and get a skate in before heading back to Bonnyville to face the Pontiacs Tuesday night.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Shut Out Pontiacs

Right from the get go the play was high tempo with chances being traded between the two teams.  A tight high flying first period resulted in only one penalty being called against the Pontiacs.  The Pontiacs had a stingy penalty kill that didn’t allow any serious chances on their goaltender Julien Laplante.  It wasn’t until almost fourteen minutes into the game that the first goal was put in the mesh.  A solid fore check enabled Josh Lazowski to take the puck from behind the net and feed a wide open Jordan Draper who put it up and over Laplante to open the scoring.  The second period was much of the same as both teams continued to put pucks on the net but could not beat the evening’s goaltenders.  Each team had a pair of powerplays in the second but couldn’t capitalize despite strong pressure.  The third period saw emotions start to surface as Tim Nolte and Allias Kalinsky squared off and had a good tilt to fire up their respective teams.  More crowds began to gather after each whistle and the fight was on for the next goal. Unfortunately for the Pontiacs the next goal went to the Saints after Josh Keiser muscled his way around a defender and tossed the puck out front where the hottest Saint, David Glen got the puck through Laplante and into the net for a 2-0 lead.  With only five minutes left in the game the Pontiacs rode their big guns to try and tie it up but the Saints were just too much down the stretch and held on for the 2-0 win.  Vincenzo Marozzi made 19 saves to get his league leading 7th shutout, and Draper and Glen continued their point streaks for another day.  The Saints are right back at it again Saturday night when they will face the St. Albert Steel in St. Albert at the Servus Center.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Tame Bobcats

The Saints travelled to Lloydminster in search of a solid road win, and that’s exactly what they got.  The Bobcats came out hard early keeping pace with the Saints, Travis Rolheiser stood strong between the pipes as he was tested early.  Just under five minutes into the game Jordan Draper picked the puck up from behind the goal line and banked it off the skate of goaltender Garrett Sheehan for the first goal of the game.  The Cats would have an opportunity to answer back with the man advantage after a Tyler Hart Roughing call.  Travis Rolheiser was up to the task despite getting a little help from the net being dislodged when the Bobcats banged in a rebound.  After the penalty kill the Saints got right back on the offensive, Carson Cooper brought the puck into the Bobcat zone and drew a couple defenders toward him before dishing a behind the back pass to Lazowski, Lazowski found himself on a 2 on 0 with teammate Dillon Simpson. Lazowski hit Simpson with a pass and Simpson put the Saints up 2-0.  Despite being down two goals the Bobcats kept an even pace with the Saints through the period.  It wasn’t until Draper scored his second of the night to make it 3-0 that frustration became evident.  Chad Hohmann challenged Henderson immediately after the third goal, Henderson obliged and the two squared off. A spirited bout that saw blows land both ways, however Henderson tossed his elbow pad to the ice which would give him a game misconduct. 

The second period started similar to the way the first ended, with a Saints goal.  A large rebound from Garrett Sheehan put the puck on Bryce Van Brabant’s stick and he put it upstairs over the glove of Sheehan for his first of two goals on the night.  That marked the end of the night for Sheehan as he let in four goals on fifteen shots.  Joel Miller stepped in to try and turn things around, and for a good chunk of the period it seemed to work. That was until Josh Keiser found a loose puck in the slot and turned and fired for his 10th goal of the season.  The second period ended with another fight that evolved from a questionable hit from behind on Tyler Hart, Kodie Curran stepped in and danced with Bobcat Captain Brody Foster.

The third was much of the same as the Saints controlled the play and were getting the better scoring chances.  The Bobcats defence looked out of sync on Lazowski’s goal as he picked the puck up in the slot uncontested and sniped the 7th goal of the game.  The Bobcats would finally answer back thanks to Brock Maschmeyer taking matters into his own hands, Maschmeyer would streak down the wing and fire a backhand on net, the rebound came right out to Kory Chisholm who gave the crowd something to cheer for.  The Cats would score again after a pass from defenseman Mitchell Peeke beat three Saints players in the neutral zone, Chad Hohmann would hold and fire on the 2on1 making it a 7-2 game.  The Saints would have the last laugh as Van Brabant would pot his second of the night to close out the game with an 8-2 win for the Saints.  Van Brabant was designated the captaincy due to Malcolm Tomlinson being out of the line-up.  Van Brabant (the Saints game star) commented on wearing the “C”.

“I can’t say that it didn’t give me a little extra spark but I just prepared like every other game and things were just going my way tonight!” 

With eight regular strength goals the Saints didn’t need to rely on their powerplay, Assistant Coach Ryan Marsh praised the forwards and their efforts throughout the game.

“I thought our forwards were real good tonight, we fore checked hard created opportunities off our fore check, we back checked well, helped out our D in our zone we just had a real solid game from our forwards I think that was the difference tonight.”

  The Saints will try and match their effort on Friday February 5th when the Bonnyville Pontiacs come to Grant Fuhr Arena.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Defeat Crusaders

The Saints hit the ice for the first of four games this week against the Sherwood Park Crusaders.  Coming off of All-Star weekend both teams knew the last stretch of the season has begun and it’s time to crank it up a notch.  The Crusaders would love to catch their North division rivals the Ft. McMurray Oil Barons but they had to get past the Saints to get the ball rolling.  The Saints are on pace to finish first in the League and snatch the first round bye, but they must continue to stay on track and not show any signs of vulnerability as teams will be trying to scout a weakness.

The game began with a fast pace, the Saints wasted no time in working the fore check as they hemmed Sherwood Park in their zone for most of the first period.  The Saints had numerous chances on rookie goaltender Patrick Terriss but could not put one past the keen net minder.  Terriss stood strong as his forwards and defence tried to relive the pressure.  Half way through the period Greg Lazoruk sprung Jesse Koch who dished to Colby Croft, Croft took a shot on Marozzi who mishandled the puck, this gave the rebound right back to Croft who slipped it past Marozzi on one of the few chances of the period.  The Crusaders solid penalty kill and Patrick Terriss got them into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.  The Saints would not take their foot off the gas as they came out in the second and peppered Terriss once again with 25 shots.  The Crusaders penalty kill couldn’t match the success it experienced in the first period due to Nate Fleming poking a rebound past Terriss to tie the game at one.  The Saints would head to the powerplay once again after D’Lane Sather took a slashing penalty.  The Saints would use the opportunity to take the lead in the game, David Glen would muscle his 8th goal of the season past Terriss.  Less than a minute later Josh Lazowski would take a roughing penalty and give the Cru a powerplay chance of their own. Chris Kallal banked a centering feed off of Vincenzo Marozzi’s stick into the net less than fifteen seconds into the man advantage.  With the game tied at two the third period was shaping up to be a great one as both teams had found their stride and were hungry for the win. 

The third period didn’t start smoothly for the Saints thanks to Cody Kunyk putting the go ahead goal past Marozzi for his 38th goal of the season.  The two teams would continue to battle it out until a solid fore check from Adam Henderson gave Lazowski the puck on the half boards, Lazowski fed Jordan Draper who cut to the middle and fired a quick snapshot past Terriss to tie the game at 3.  With momentum on their side, the Saints took it to the Crusaders.  Josh Keizer would gain the Sherwood Park zone and fire a shot on net which rebounded up into the air where a driving Brett Switzer would bat it out of the air and into the back of the net. With just under six minutes left the goal seemed to demoralize the Cru as they had been playing a solid game.  The Saints would keep their momentum rolling and put the game away with their fifth goal at 17:04 in the period.  The Saints can’t enjoy their win for too long as they travel to Lloydminster to face the Bobcats following evening.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Grab Road Win

Well it was obvious the Pontiacs wanted to get a strong start against the Saints as they came out firing on all cylinders.  The Saints seemed a step behind early on as they were down 9-1 in shots within the first seven minutes. Vincenzo Marrozi had to be sharp in the first frame as the Saints found themselves in a bit of penalty trouble.  Marrozi turned aside all power play chances by the Pontiacs but was beaten five on five on the 15th shot of the period. The goal came from a strong fore-check from Kevin Carthy who dished the puck to Devon Kalinski, Kalinski then fed a back hand pass to Marc-Antoine Juneau who finished it off from in front of the net.  The Saints were granted their first power play of the game and they didn’t waste any time using the opportunity to tie knot the score at one. Thirty seconds into the man advantage a point shot from Kodie Curran found its way to the front of the net where David Glen put it over the line for his fifth goal of the season.  After the goal the Saints looked refreshed, they were able to gain the game’s momentum going into the break.   In the second period it was the Pontiacs that found themselves in some penalty trouble as they gave up two 5 on 3 man advantages. An impressive penalty kill by the Pontiacs only allowed two shots while being down two men but the Saints wouldn’t let the opportunity pass them bye again scoring on the second two man advantage.  Adam Henderson would bang in a rebound past Julien Laplante after Ryan Kerr fired it along the ice from the blue line. The second period ended seeing Spruce Grove control most of the play; they put 13 pucks on net reversing the one way action that occurred in the first period.  Four and a half minutes into the third, another shot from Kodie Curran at the point hit a couple of legs in front, Jordan Draper then got it to Nate Fleming who put the Saints up 3-1.  With 6:30 left in the game the Pontiacs hemmed the Saints in their zone and got the puck to defenseman Matthew Register who released a low hard shot which was redirected by Dante Borrelli through the legs of Vincenzo Marrozi.  Only down by one the Pontiacs came on strong in last five minutes, they pulled Laplante with 43 seconds left but were unable to tie the game.  The Saints headed home with their 41st victory while handing the Pontiacs a .500 record.

By Travis Ziegler

Saints Blow Out Barons

Well it had all the makings of a classic Saturday night matchup. Both teams were coming off big wins from the night before, Fort McMurray was hungry for their first win against the Saints, and the home town boys wanted to get back on a roll after dropping a game to the Storm the previous weekend.  The first period was relatively back and forth with the better scoring chances going to the Saints. Penalties went both ways, however it would be Joshua Lazowski finishing off a nice feed from Nate Fleming to put the Saints up one on the Saint’s first of three power play goals of the game.  The Oil Barons probably wished they could have skipped the second period as half way through the game they found themselves down 4-0 due to two more power play goals and another regular strength marker from Josh Lazowski.  Branden Gracel tried to spark his club by driving wide on a Saint defender and then chipping a beautiful shot up and over the short side shoulder of Travis Rolheiser.  The Barons would try to build off the Gracel power play goal after the intermission. The Saints had other ideas, only two minutes into the third frame Jordan Draper found himself alone in front of the Baron net, he made no mistake banking it off then post and in.  The Saints would add two more tallies taking the game with a score of 7-1.  Both Baron goaltenders got playing time in this one as Jesse Kallechy relieved Joey Quattrocchi after the fourth goal. On the other end, Travis Rolheiser had another solid game against the Oil Barons stopping 21 of 22 shots. 

The two teams will go head to head one more time in the regular season and they won’t have to wait long.  The Northern rivals will face off again Friday the 29th of January in Ft. McMurray to kick off All-Star weekend.

by Travis Ziegler

Saints Calm the Storm

If you were at the Saints vs. Storm game last Saturday the 16th you might have a good idea how Friday night’s game went, except reverse the roles for each team.  The previous weekend saw Grande Prairie get off to a solid start controlling the play for most of the first and second period.  The Saints were down 3-0 going into the third when they caught their wind and came back with two goals of their own, one being a power play goal.  The game ended with a 3-2 win for the Storm leaving the Saints with their 4th regulation loss.  However on less than one week later it was the Saints who jumped out of the gate first with a solid start.  They controlled the play for most of the first and second period, and went into the third with a 3-0 lead.  The Storm caught their wind (excuse the pun) and scored only 12 seconds into the third. Not even two minutes later they would capitalize on a power play opportunity similar to how the Saints got within one goal a week earlier.  The Saints would hold on to the 3-2 margin despite considerable pressure from the Strom with the goaltender pulled.  A couple of Saints with solid outings were Ryan Kerr and Jordan Draper; Kerr fired two goals past Chad Carder while Draper had two helpers.  Draper was aware of the similarities between the two games. “We talked about it in the intermission before the third, somebody mentioned this is how it was last week, we tried to shut it down, they got a couple quick goals, we shut it down after that and like I said 2 points.”

The Storm will have their chance at redemption in February in their own barn, the last meeting is sure to be a doosey as it is only two weeks before the playoffs.

By Travis Ziegler

Storm Shoot Down Saints

Grant Fuhr Arena was buzzing Saturday night with a playoff atmosphere, 877 fans made their way through the doors expecting a barn burner between the top two north division rivals. At first it seemed they would be disappointed, the first period lacked emotion and speed. Both teams seemed reluctant to break out of their comfort zones in fear of making a detrimental mistake. Other than a couple penalties each way the only thing worth mentioning was a nice play between Tanner Fritz, Marcus Watson and Darren Kramer.  The three streaked in across the Saints blue line when Fritz hit Watson with a nifty pass and Watson got it over to Kramer who came out of nowhere to put it in the back of the net. The second period seemed to open up a little more but similar to the first there wasn’t must action. The Storm controlled the play and were effective in entering the Saints zone without adversity.  The Saints seemed a step behind and couldn’t garner any momentum due to missed passes and poor puck support.  The Storm took advantage scoring two more unanswered goals, The Rix, Raubenheimer, and Dunstall line combine for only their second goal against the Saints this year, however it proved to be the difference as in the third the Saints put up a valiant effort to tie the game after scoring two big goals.  The spark came too little too late as they ran out of time with six attackers on the ice attempting a third marker. The game would end with a 3-2 loss for the Saints and a little food for thought until next matchup.  The Saints have the week to regroup then they will suit up to once again face off against the Grande Prairie Storm next Friday night.

By Travis Ziegler

1st IN NORTH VS. 1ST IN SOUTH

It was all Kodiaks, at least for the first ten minutes.  Kodiaks came out physical and flying, Vincenzo Marozzi faced numerous scoring chances early. 5:35 into the game Kenny Bradley won the puck back to Derek Wiedmer who fired a shot from the point through a crowd which eluded Marozzi. Two minutes later a turnover in the neutral zone sent Brooks Myers and Brad McConnell in on an odd man rush and McConnell slid the puck to Myers who put it in the back of the net. Bad Blood started to boil as the two teams wanted to get reacquainted with each other since their last meeting was back in mid October.  The only thing the Kodiaks got acquainted with was the penalty box, in the first period alone Camrose took seven minor penalties, two fighting majors and two ten minute misconducts. 

The penalties hurt the Kodiaks badly and that is an understatement.  The Saints took advantage scoring two back to back power play goals tying the game at two with 4:43 left in the period. They added one more unanswered power play goal with 3 seconds left in the frame to take the lead into the second. A wild first period that saw the Kodiaks in the driver seat early until undisciplined penalties got them off their game plan.  The intermission was regroup time as the Saints coaching staff was unhappy with their start to the game and the Kodiaks had to settle down after giving up three unanswered goals.  This made for a relatively uneventful nine minutes to start the period.  However at the 11 minute mark the Kodiaks once again got into penalty trouble giving up a 5-on-3 however the Grove couldn’t capitalize. The period stayed scoreless until the last ten seconds when Ryan Kerr fired through a crowd and it slipped through the legs of goaltender and new addition Dalyn Flette for their only regular strength goal of the game. Camrose had been pressing and gaining momentum but it was dismantled by the late goal and Spruce Grove carried the momentum into the third.  Just over a minute into the final frame Rylan Wiest took an interference penalty which enabled the Saints to work the puck around the Kodiaks zone, Dillon Simpson re-directed  a one-timer in the slot which put the puck on the tape of Scott Allen’s stick who made no mistake with an open cage. The Saints 4th power play goal put the game out of reach. After the goal the Kodiaks bench seemed demoralized and finished. Due to the glass at the time keeper’s bench being dislodged from a check, an opportunity for Boris Rybalka to try and right the ship was granted, but nothing would come of strategizing. The Saints had too much gas in their tank and Camrose could not get anywhere near the net. With just under four minutes left Ryan Kerr took a holding penalty, and the Kodiaks were able to notch one more shovelling a rebound past Vincenzo Marozzi.  The game would end with a 5-3 victory for the Saints. After the game Ryan Kerr spoke about the potent power play. “We were moving the puck well, we had a lot of them (power plays), we cashed in on some rebounds and had some good shots, and the guys were getting into the right places.” Assistant Coach Ryan Marsh was also pleased with the performance of the power play units. “After a slow start, there was some power plays we executed well and were able to get back the momentum after the slow start and that was key tonight, have to give the power play guys credit.”

The Saints power play will have to be in top form for Saturdays match against the Grande Prairie Storm, the second of three meetings the two clubs have this month.

By Travis Ziegler