The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs added a win and a loss to their season over the holiday weekend.
The Pontiacs fell 3-2 to the Spruce Grove Saints on Friday, Oct. 5 at home. But made a thanksgiving comeback on Sunday, winning 4-2 over the Drayton Valley Thunder.
Head coach Rick Swan saw the loss as one that got away due to overextending themselves early on in the game.
“We made mental mistakes in our own zone, we over handled pucks, we stopped communicating with one another, we tried to beat guys one-on-one, and we took on undisciplined penalties that allowed Spruce Grove to get back in,” he recalled.
Loss on home ice
The Pontiacs started the game off quick with captain Grayson Constable finding the back of the net less than one minute in.
“We started off strong, we just didn’t have the finish that we wanted,” Constable said following the game.
The rest of the first was quiet for both teams. Goalie Colby Muise kept the home team in the lead, preventing the Saints from scoring through two power plays.
“It’s my job to keep the boys in the game, and in those moments there isn’t much going through your head except trying to track the puck, making the right moves, and communicating as much as possible,” Muise noted.
Swan described Muise as a “bright light” during the game, who took the loss personally even though he played “tremendously well.”
The team has confidence in their netminder, which Constable believes lets them focus on the game in front of them.
“It takes a bit of pressure off us so we can do our job, and don’t have to worry about shots,” he said.
Bonnyville came out strong again in the second period. Ty Enns extended the Pontiacs lead at the 2:21 mark.
With less than three minutes left in the period, the Saints capitalized on a power play to finally get themselves on the scoreboard.
The final frame was the Pontiacs’ downfall. After tying up the score halfway through the period, Spruce Grove slipped the puck in the net in the last few minutes to take the win.
“We need to play the full 60. I feel like we haven’t the last few games. We started out strong but the full 60 is required to get a ‘W.’ We need to get back to Pontiac hockey; long shifts and firing the puck more,” Muise said.
Swan noted that the loss came at a good time in the season, which will allow them to adjust their strategy for games down the road.
Bonnyville back in the win column
After a day to reflect on Friday night’s game, the Pontiacs came back firing Sunday afternoon as they took on the Drayton Valley Thunder at home.
Constable once again got the momentum started for the home team, putting Bonnyville on the scoreboard one-minute into the game.
It wasn’t long before Daine Dubois followed suit. Off a pass from Brendan Morrow and Ethan Leyer, Dubois netted the Pontiacs their second goal of the night.
Leyer widened the lead at the 14-mintute mark to bring Bonnyville up 3-0.
After holding off a couple of Drayton Valley power plays, Morrow fired the puck in with less than 10 seconds left in the first period. Picking up a goal and two assists in the game, Morrow was named the home star for Sunday’s matchup.
Leading 4-0, the Pontiacs started to slip in the second frame allowing two unanswered goals from the Thunder.
A pep talk from the coaching staff in between periods did the trick, as the young Bonnyville team came out in the third ready to defend their lead. While they were unable to find the back of the net again, the Pontiacs managed to keep the Thunder at bay to win 4-2.
After the weekend, the Pontiacs are sitting just behind Spruce Grove in the second spot in the north division standings with 12 points in eight games.
The Pontiacs will be back in action at home on Wednesday, Oct. 10 when they’ll have a chance for redemption against the Spruce Grove Saints.
