An Undisciplined Win

Despite taking the win, Coach Swan says the team can do better

The Bonnyville Pontiacs welcomed Sherwood Park in the first of two games against the Crusaders this weekend; with a 5-4 win on Friday at the RJ Lalonde. Head Coach of the Pontiacs, Rick Swan, says the club is going to have to be a lot more disciplined and take control if they want to beat Sherwood Park at home on Saturday.

“It started off as a game, that I don’t think, anyone wanted to take control of. I thought that we gave up too many shots in the first period; just because we weren’t taking our time and space against a very good hockey club,” after a scoreless first period, Coach Swan says the club started to come together in the second. Thankfully so, as the Crusaders opened up the scoring 7:17 into the second, from Matthew Dykstra and the Yaks had to battle back to stay in the game. Derek Brown, Isaac Saniga, and Charlie Gawlicki each fought the good fight to the back of the net and advanced the Pontiacs 3-1 at the end of 40.

The Pontiacs made it hard on themselves to get out of the third period, says the coach, “we shot ourselves in the foot by taking the undisciplined and unacceptable penalties,” referring to captain  Ryan Symington, and veterans Gen Bryshun, Erik Donald and  Derek Brown taking a number of preventable penalties. “Guys have to be smarter than that and they have to be better than that. We got the two points, and I’m happy about that… but we have to be better than that.”

“We had three power play goals (against us),” Coach says he wasn’t happy with the third, which opened with a Crusader power play goal one minute in, from Cameron Reagan. Ryan Piche followed it up with a power play goal from Jake Gresh and Derek Brown; however two minutes later Crusaders got another power play goal, from Ben Sowa to make it a 4-3 game for the Yaks.

Alden Dupuis from Brandon Whistle and PJ Marrocco gave the Pontiacs a nice two goal buffer at 9:08 in the third. The gap was tightened on the power play, by Sherwood Park once more at 11:22, from  Cameron Reagan. It would prove to be the final goal from either team and leave the game at 5-4 at the buzzer, in favour of the Pontiacs.

“We’ve got to be better all around. I thought that we worked way harder than what we needed. If we can fix that, we’ll be okay for [Saturday].” The Pontiacs are on the road to face Sherwood Park at 7:00 pm.