Ice Defeat Warriors 6-1

The Cold Lake Jr B Ice opened their weekend by welcoming the Saddle Lake Warriors to Imperial Oil Place. The invite must not have been to the Warriors’ liking, as many fights broke out throughout the evening; including the rare battle of the crease, goaltender brawl.

Head Coach for the Cold Lake Ice, Scott Hood says despite the score on the board, he felt there was a lot of room to improve. “They had eleven skaters,” Coach Hood says of Saddle Lake, “they’re going to come in and work hard. We didn’t respond at all. There was no emotion. [Saddle Lake] got tired because there were eleven guys.” It’s not the way you want to start a weekend, says the coach.

The Warriors put up a battle early in the game with an unassisted goal from Silas Makokis 35 seconds into the match.  Brae Howatt got it back at 7:35 with the help of Captain, Curtis Witney and Jean-Guy Boisvert. “We had to answer quick and get our momentum back,” says Howatt of his goal. “Getting the answer goal was huge.” Just as big for the team was the go-ahead that closed the period.  Jason Hamilton lit it up on the power play from team mates, Coltan Buchta and Donavan Bibeau.

We had to keep them outta our end and not give them opportunities. – Brae Howatt #44 Cold Lake Jr B Ice

The Ice kept the pressure on in the second, but it would take some work to get it past Saddle Lake’s Shaq Steinhauer. Witney broke the barrier at 15:03 with Jacob Bartman and Mackenzie Zarowny. Followed three minutes later by Curtis Gullackson from Guillaume St-Gelais and Chase Brown to make it a 4-1 game. But that wasn’t the most exciting part of the second…

That would come at the close as the teams were exiting the ice, the goalies squared off and went to battle. Dahlin Supernault of the Ice got the Instigator penalty and both he and Steinhauer were tossed for the scuffle.

Despite losing their starting goalie the Ice were able to hold off the Warriors for the remaining 20 minutes of play with Dyson Loewen in net. The Warriors weren’t as successful with a fresh man between the pipes. Zarowny put one past Caleb Virgo 12:49 into the third, with the help of Howatt and Boisvert.

Around the 13 minute mark of the third, Cold Lake’s Chase Brown got tied up in the boards with a Saddle Lake player, both fell and the player from Saddle Lake broke his ankle and was carried out by via stretcher. The player’s name & jersey number is unknown to LCN at this time. We will update you when that information is available.

St-Gelais closed the game 6-1 with the assists to Witney and Hamilton.