Pontiacs fight for 4-3 Win over Storm
Photo Credit: @bpontiacsjra Debra Kaban
Down 2-0 mid-way through the second period, the Bonnyville Jr A Pontiacs had to put up a great fight to overcome the wicked Storm, Tuesday at the RJ Lalonde Arena in Bonnyville. Head Coach of the Pontiacs, Rick Swan, says the team came together 10 minutes into the second.
“Luckily, we had a great second half of the second period,” the Pontiacs down 2-0 halfway through the period, coming off of Grande Prairie goals from Walker Cote and Dallas Comeau, it was Charlie Gawlicki at 10:42 who turned things around for the club. With the assist from Trygve Many Guns and Ryan Symington, Gawlicki put the Yaks back in the fight with a goal. Alden Dupuis followed up three minutes later from Jake Gresh to end the second at a tie 2-2.
“We had some great things come out of the game, but I think what it really showed us, is that there are still many things we need to work on,” says Coach Swan. “We plan on going a long way, but we still have a long ways to go.”
Coming out of a very clean period, with no penalties, Many Guns and the Storm’s Zac McNeill got into a little skiff, and cancelled each other’s unsportsmanlike penalties out. It must’ve set the tone for the period and gave some juice to the Pontiacs’ bench, because seconds later Derek Brown advanced the game with a goal from Brandon Whistle and Riley Smith.
Then another tossle landed in the Storm’s favour, when Pontiacs’ Captain Symington and Storm’s Felip Gosselin roughing penalties at 7:39 turned into a goal for GP a minute later off Dallas Comeau. But it would be the Pontiacs who took the final advantage of penalties when Mitchell Oliver got the game winning off the power play from Ryan Piche and Brendan Holterhus; ending the game 4-3 for Bonnyville.
“More importantly, than anything, is we have to do things without the puck, just a little bit better so that we don’t allow ourselves to work as hard as we did to try to get two point,” Coach Swan says the club will be working on cleaning up their game and discipline as they head out on the road. “We’re fortunate that in the last game (at home) that we got two points to help advance us for the next six weeks on the road.”
The Bonnyville Pontiacs head out for an extended road trip and will not return to the RJ Lalonde Arena until January 6th, 2017. “Being on the road can be a real positive thing,” Coach Swan says it helps build the team atmosphere. “It allows us, as a coaching staff, to focus on what we can control for (the players). We’re going to be together 24/7; we can control what they eat, what time they go to bed, what time they wake up and what kind of information they get, versus only in the mornings when they’re here in Bonnyville.”
“It also creates unity, chemistry and a sense of brotherhood,” states Coach Swan. First game of the road trip is Friday against the Whitecourt Woverines.
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