Saints set tone early in 10-1 win over Pontiacs

The Bonnyville Pontiacs paid a visit to Grant Fuhr Arena in Spruce Grove Saturday night. The team was looking to improve on their 2-1-0 record to start the season. Spruce Grove had other plans, as they scored early and often. Final score was 10-1 Saints.

Two in 1:04

The Saints staked themselves to a 1-0 lead just 12 seconds into the first period. Cam Mitchell added the second Saints goal of the period just 52 seconds later. The Pontiacs found themselves in a big hole very early on. The Yaks only managed two shots on net the entire period. The Spruce Grove Saints dominated the score clock 15-2 in the first. Spruce Grove managed to get two more goals in the final five minutes to put them up 4-0.

“They got out to an early lead, two goals in the first two mintues of the game. That kind of set the tone for us. We need to be stronger mentally.” Assistant Coach Neil Langridge explains.

Yaks get 1, give up 3 more

The Pontiacs had a much better second period, although they couldn’t manage to claw back in a big way. It was 5-0 Saints with 10:39 to play in the second, when the Pontiacs scored their first goal. Zach Aston tallied what would be the only Pontiacs goal of the night. The Saints resisted being out shot to add two more, and lead 7-1 going into the third.

Switch in net

Justin Travis started the third in net for the Pontiacs. He faced 11 shots, and surrendered another three goals. The Pontiacs were once again stifled by the Saints defencse. They only managed six shots in the period. Overall, the game became a throw away for the Pontiacs. The Saints took home the victory 10-1

Lessons learned

It was a humbling experience for the Pontiacs, but it’s one Assistant Coach Langridge knows will serve them well.

“You throw it away. You take a lot of lessons from it, and you learn from it. We start back today. We’ve got another game on Tuesday, so you throw that [one] away. Can’t dwell on it for too long. Everyone’s been in this situation before, if they haven’t it’s an awesome lesson in not only hockey, but life.” Assistant Coach Langridge says.

Back home in October

The Pontiacs will play Tuesday in WhiteCourt before heading south for the annual AJHL Showcase. Their next home game is October 3 versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders.