Yaks Scratched by Cats

Jr A Pontiacs shutout by Lloydminister 2-0 Wednesday

The Bonnyville Jr A Pontiacs welcomed rivals, the Lloydminister Bobcats to the RJ Lalonde Arena on Wednesday evening. Despite putting up 43 shots on net to the Bobcats 17, the Yaks were not able to break through the wall that was Lloyd’s goalie, Austin McGrath.

“He’s a great goaltender, who’s capable of these types of performances,” head coach for the Pontiacs, Rick Swan, says McGrath was at his best on Wednesday, “we’ve got to find a way, as a hockey team that has scored a lot of goals this year, that when we run into a hot goalie, we have to make it difficult for him. So that he has to fight for every save that he makes.” Swan says his post-game message was sometimes, despite the effort, things just aren’t going to go your way, “sometimes you deserve a better fate. But when you run into a hot goalie, at this level, you have to take it upon yourself to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to make it difficult for that goaltender.”

A scoreless first period lead into a second period goal from the Bobcats’ Chasetan Braid with less than three minutes left on the clock. “Often in practice, our guys will be right in the goalie’s face. They will make the goalie look around them, they’ll be on top of rebounds, they get vocally invested around the goaltender, so his concentration isn’t as dialed in,” Swan says he would’ve liked to see more practice in the game on Wednesday.

Zach Webb recorded the second goal for Lloyd at 15:05 in the third on the power play. That goal would prove to be the last, as the Yaks failed to break through the hot goalie on the opposing team. “There’s a lesson, that we have to understand, that if we’re not getting success in their perimeter than sometimes we have to get inside. What I mean by that is the tight scoring areas and you’re going to face some physical confrontation from other teams, because they are trying to keep you outside.”

The Pontiacs have two home games over the weekend, facing the Olds Grizzlys Friday at 7:30 pm and the Sherwood Park Crusaders Sunday at 2:00 pm. WIN tickets to home Pontiac Games on LCN!