Short Bench Makes a Tough Weekend for the Elks

Elks take 2 of 4 points over weekend

The Elk Point Elks faced Vermilion on Friday and Viking on Saturday with twelve men in the line-up due to some injuries to key players. The Elks were able to pull a win out on Friday and loss a hard fought battle on Saturday, says Coach Murray Cochrane, “it was probably, a little bit of a tough weekend; because of injuries.”

Friday: Vermilion

The Elks took on Vermilion Rock at the AG Ross Arena on Friday evening, coach Cochrane says the team managed the win after 40 minutes of slower than usual play to come alive in the third. Vermilion’s KYLER ANDERSON opened the scoring in the first, and it took until the third for the Elks to respond.

“We played with three regulars out of the line-up,” explains Cochrane, “we woke up in the third period and managed to pull out a win.” SCOTT WARD fired the first deadly shot off an assist from DEVIN MONETA and HARRISON MAAS, at 1:47 in the third. That was followed up with an unassisted go-ahead from CHEVY BOTTING and an unassisted closer from MONETA to close the game 3-1.

“We needed those two points,” the club is tied in forth position (with Dewberry) in the SaskAlta Sr Men’s Hockey League after the weekend.

Saturday: Viking

“We went to Viking with 12 players; so, once again, not quite enough players,” Cochrane says the short bench attributed to the 8-6 loss against the Gas Kings.

TANNER DION opened things up for Viking with back-to-back goals, which were followed by the first of three goals from the Elk’s SCOTT WARD. The Gas Kings, RYAN FRIEND advanced Viking again before WARD closed the period with his second goal.

The Elks were down 3-2 in the second, when TAYLOR RITCHIE made it a 4-2 game for Viking. CHEVY BOTTING responded with help from DYSON KARBASHEWSKI and MATTHEW BOULIANNE; but it wasn’t enough to hold of the Kings. CAM DION put in two goals to close the period and give Viking a 6-3 lead.

CHEVY BOTTING answered early in the third giving some life back to the Elks, with help from DAVIN BUCK and MARK BRODBIN. SCOTT WARD followed up with his hat trick goal, from BUCK and DEREK BOULIANNE, with launched CHEVY BOTTING hat trick from JASON KALYNCHUK and DEREK WEST.

Viking’s Dion brothers, Cam & Tanner, feeling the hat trick fever each got another goal to end the game with three a piece and a 8-6 victory for the Gas Kings.

“The boys played well. Chevy Botting and Scott Ward were dancing; they each scored three goals.”

The Elks have three more games before the Christmas break, two of which will be played this weekend. The Elks host the Marwayne Comets at the AG Ross Arena Friday night at 8:00 pm, before travelling to Hillmond on Saturday to take on the Hitmen.