Wins keep coming as Pontiacs find their game
It wasn’t the result they were looking for this past Saturday, losing 4-2 to the Brooks Bandits but Jr. A Pontiacs players and coaches believe the team has improved its play as of late . They have come together at the right time, winning seven of its past 10 games, including a 2-1 victory over the Spruce Grove Saints Jan. 25 in Slave Lake and a 3-1 win over the Drayton Valley Thunder in Bonnyville Jan. 27.
“Our players have done a good job responding to the challenges put in front of them,” said Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier. “We’ve received more consistent efforts, the players are more engaged. But we’re going to need even more of that if we are going to have any success going forward.”
After splitting back-to-back games against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons Jan. 20-21 in Bonnyville, the Pontiacs seemed to carry some of that momentum into Slave Lake this past Wednesday, where they got out to an early lead over the third ranked Junior A team in the country, the Spruce Grove Saints.
Pontiacs forward Dillon Currie opened the scoring halfway through the first period, before Tommy Barszcz added to the lead, scoring his 20th goal of the season early in the second period. Defenceman Redford Swan assisted on both Pontiac goals.
The Saints came on strong in the third period, scoring with just over a minute to go but the Pontiacs were able to hold on for the 2-1 win.
The game was played in Slave Lake, as a charity event for the town. Though it counted as a regular season game, the proceeds from the event were donated to Slave Lake Minor Hockey.
The Pontiacs then welcomed the Drayton Valley Thunder to town Friday and neither team gave up much offensively, as the tight checking game came down to a greasy goal off the stick of Pontiacs forward Keith Csizmadia halfway through the second period.
Pontiacs forward Ty Carey scored in the first period for the Pontiacs and assisted on Csizmadia’s game winning goal in the second. Forward Dallas Ansell potted an empty-netter with just over a minute to go, putting the game out of reach for the Thunder.
Pontiacs 17-year-old defenceman Colton Waltz, who has been playing a lot of key minutes over the past month, said the tight games down the stretch are good preparation for the playoffs, which begin Feb. 24.
“Everyone is starting to get into that playoff mode,” said Waltz. “We started to find our game over the last few weeks but consistency is key. We want to make sure we continue to go out there and battle for everything we get.”
Despite losing Saturday to the Bandits, Mercier said he liked his team’s response after going down 4-1.
“Maybe earlier in the season, we would have rolled over in a game like that, but I like to see that resilience at this time of year,” said Mercier.
After getting through the first period tied 1-1, the Pontiacs suddenly fell flat in the second, giving up three power play goals in a span of five minutes, putting Brooks up 4-1.
Once the decision was made to switch goaltenders and give Pontiacs rookie Tyler Santos his first opportunity in net, Bonnyville slowly but surely regained the form that had been bringing them success over the past few weeks.
Pontiacs leading scorer Tanner Dusyk scored his 22nd goal of the season on the power play with under two minutes to go in the second period, bringing the Pontiacs within two of the Bandits heading into the final frame.
Bonnyville threw nine shots on net and Santos stopped all four he faced in the third period, but Brooks goalie Jan Obernesser stood on his head stopping 30 of 32 shots on the night, helping his team to the 4-2 win.
Pontiacs defenceman Blake Leask, who was acting captain on the evening, standing in for Kevin Carthy, who is injured, scored the team’s first goal of the game and assisted on Dusyk’s power play marker.
With the two points, Leask has increased his point total to 44, good for second on the team to Dusyk’s 46.
The point total, including 11 goals, also puts Leask at the top of the AJHL in scoring among defencemen.
Jordon Krankowsky, the Pontiacs second leading scorer on defence, said the team will need to continue to get offence from all sources if they are going to beat the top clubs in the league. But he said the play of late is something to build on.
“We beat two of the top three teams in the league. There’s no doubt we would have liked to make it three tonight. But we’re really coming together as a team at the right time. We know it only gets harder from here. But we have the team, if we bear down, that can have success against anyone.”
With nine games left in the regular season, the Pontiacs sit fourth in the North Division, three points up on the Sherwood Park Crusaders, and four points back of the Lloydminster Bobcats.
The Pontiacs are on the road for back-to-back games in Grande Prairie tonight (Jan. 31) and tomorrow, before returning home to face the Fort McMurray Oil Barons Friday Feb. 3 and the St. Albert Steel the next night. Puck drop for both home games is 7 p.m.
Co-captains out for now
Co-captains Dante Borrelli and Kevin Carthy are both out of the lineup for the near future. Borrelli has been out since late October but the team hopes to see his return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.
Carthy was injured in the game against Drayton Valley. He will be re-evaluated this week but is likely to miss some time.
Pontiacs host fourth annual Jersey Night Saturday
The Pontiacs took on Brooks wearing specially designed retro jerseys honouring the 1980-81 Senior Pontiacs squad. A silent auction was held throughout the evening and the winners received the jerseys off the Pontiacs backs.
For the fourth year in a row the event went off well, with all the proceeds this year going to the Bonnyville Health Foundation.
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