The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs’ last home game 2018 didn’t end the way they had hoped.
After beating the Lloydminster Bobcats and Calgary Canucks earlier in the week, the Pontiacs fell to the Drumheller Dragons.
Regardless of the loss, they’re still on top of the north division with 48 points.
Pontiacs win matchup against the Bobcats
The Pontiacs beat the Lloydminster Bobcats 3-2 when they faced off at the R.J. Lalonde Area on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
It was Pontiac Isaac Saniga who started the night off for the home team, getting the puck past the Bobcats goalie during a power play.
Lloydminster quickly answered with a goal of their own, tying it up before time ran out in the first.
The second period was quiet for Bonnyville, but Lloydminster managed to take the lead 2-1 thanks to a power play.
Pontiac Sean Thomson managed a third period goal to tie it up 2-2.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Pontiac Daine Dubois added his name to the scoresheet to win the game for the home team.
Second win of the week against Canucks
The Pontiacs continued their win streak on Friday, Nov. 30, coming away with a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Canucks.
Pontiac Lucas Thorne managed to find the back of the net first, getting the lone goal of the first period.
The one point lead wasn’t enough for Noah Lugli, he got the puck past Calgary’s goalie within the first two minutes of the second frame.
Trey Thomas added another one to the scoreboard for the Pontiacs shortly after.
The Canucks weren’t going down without a fight. They used their man advantage during a power play to land their first goal of the game.
Joel Ray got puck between the posts finishing off the second, bringing the Pontiacs’ lead 4-1.
Calgary scored two during the final frame, after getting the puck past Pontiac goalie Easton Hesse.
But, Bonnyville held off their opponents, to finish the night with a 4-3 victory.
Pontiacs slayed by
the Dragons
Once again, it was the Drumheller Dragons who ended Bonnyville’s win streak, when the Pontiacs fell 3-2 on Dec. 1.
Head coach Rick Swan noted the team had a slow start, but controlled the game for 50-minutes.
“I’m really proud of our guys for the response that we did, and it’s tough when they leave everything on the ice. You can’t really be disappointed,” he emphasized.
While they had a good effort, the Pontiacs weren’t able to find the back of the net during the first 20-minutes.
Drumheller took the lead, racking up two goals.
Neither team capitalized during the second period.
Pontiac Jaden York responded to the Dragons’ power play goal early in the third with one of his own.
He put the home team on the board with a goal at 2:21.
“Just kind of cherry picking a little bit, and an amazing pass from (Luke Albert). Just right through the defenders, and just an amazing pass,” York recalled.
Bringing the score to 3-2 was Pontiac Ethan Leyer with an unassisted goal.
“We’re going to look and reflect on it. Take the negatives and the positives just like we do every game, and move full steam ahead,” expressed Pontiac Victor Polowy.
Bonnyville had 60 shots on net.
“In the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), that doesn’t happen. Especially against a good team like Drumheller,” Swan exclaimed.
While this was the team’s last AJHL home game before the holidays, they face-off against the Czech Republic in pre-tournament play for the World Junior A Challenge (WJAC) on Friday, Dec. 7. Puck drop is 6 p.m.
“It’s an experience that every kid wants, even if you’re not playing for Team Canada, playing against an international team is pretty special,” Polowy noted.
Swan takes his spot as head coach of Team Canada West. They play Russia in pre-tournament action in Frog Lake at the New Horizons Centre. Puck drop is 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7.
