Black and Blue

Even as busy as this past weekend was with the Oilmen’s Bonspiel taking place, the Midget Avalanche still drew a huge crowd for their Friday night battle against Boyle.

One week earlier in Boyle, it was a much tighter game. The boys gave the hometown crowd something to cheer about coming out on top of this one 11-6. ‘King Cole’ Bendixen with 5 goals. I don’t seem to  remember his dad scoring like this. Marty was a terrific player on either forward or defense. More of a set up man than a goal scorer. Maybe the King inherited his scoring touch from his mother, the Elk Point Minor Hockey president Candace. Either way he’s sure been on a tear lately racking them up.

A hat trick and two helpers for a guy who always comes to play, the talented team captain Nick ‘Sparky’ Anderson. Long legged D Man Evan ‘Batman’ Ockerman with a goal and 3 assists. Dallas ‘Cowboy’ Bristow adding 2 goals . Hayden ‘Hot Wheels’ Ludlage with six assists, his brother ‘Lightning Liam’ setting up four of them. Veterans Chase ‘Rink Rat’ Dorey and Dusty Pankiw with one assist each.

On Sunday the Avalanche traveled to Cold Lake winning the game 6-3, but coming home with some more injured players. ‘Hank the Tank’ Rogal was already sitting out with a concussion from Friday’s game and Jayden ‘Jet Steam’ Van Maarion has lower body injury were scratched already. Dusty Pankiw and ‘Hotwheels’ Ludlage both hurting after the game in Cold Lake but will hopefully be able to suit up for tonight. Sparky with two goals and three assists, Lightning with a goal and an assist. King Cole, Danny Boy Cardinal and Tyler Jamieson with one goal each.

Tonight, Tuesday the 29th, the Midget team will be playing here at home against our old friends the Kitscoty Pitbulls in the first game of the two game total point round robin of provincials. Game time is 8pm. Come out, show your support  and cheer the boys on to victory!

The Peewee Avalanche played in the St. Paul tournament this past weekend coming home with the Bronze medal. Up early for the first game against Lac La Biche Saturday morning, Ella ‘Stellar’ Ballas opened up the scoring with her first goal of the year, a nice one timer. Vaughn ‘the Vulture’ Ockerman, ‘Top Gunner’ Crawford and Seth ‘Motorman’ Morton would also score. Steady D Men Gavin ‘Giver’ Kadutski and ‘Saint Nick’ Penner with assists, The Avalanche were leading 4-3 going into the third period. The Clippers putting on the pressure would tie the game and then score the winner with only three minutes left in the game winning 5-4.

Their second game on Saturday was against a team from Edgerton who edged the  Avalanche out by the same 5-4 score. The ‘Vulture’ , Kaleb ‘Formula One’ Flamand, ‘Top Gunner’ and Ryan ‘Ram Rod’ Cameron scoring for the Avalanche. Timmy ‘ the Freight Train’ Cardinal, ‘ Cyclone Cole ‘ Pierce and ‘ Motorman’ assisting.

Up at the crack of dawn again on Sunday morning the Avalanche played St Matthew’s in yet another one goal game, but this time the Avalanche coming out on top winning the game 6-5 and the Bronze medal. ‘Bo Diddley’ Fontaine, ‘Saint Nick’ Penner, Motorman, the Vulture, Top Gunner and Brayden ‘Pinball’ Pinette scoring for the Avalanche.

Top Gunner adding  two assists, steady D Man Brendon ‘Blueline’ Haesch with one assist, and the Saint who was getting the green light all weekend long  with a helper too.

It’s a wonder the Atom Avalanche had any energy at all left to play on Saturday after spending half the morning and all Friday afternoon doing a bottle drive and an outdoor BBQ fundraiser for their provincial team. Plus they went to a birthday party for their goaltender ‘Goodyear Charlie’ later that night. The team is hoping to buy some matching jackets or track suits to wear during the provincials. Looks like they raised quite a bit of money by the number of bottles they picked up and the people that stopped by to support them buying a burger. And it was great to see the all the  kids from this team  actually taking part doing the work involved and learning, that  if you really want something you have to work for it!

Not to be outdone by his Sister Stellar Ballas, brother ‘Notorious Nolan’ Ballas also scored the first goal of the game here at home for the Atom Avalanche. He scored it on the power play in the first period against a very strong goalie from Glendon.  Notorious getting his nose dirty going to the front of the net getting a rebound off a shot from Madden ‘Mad Dog’ Flamand . But before the scorekeeper could even announce his goal, Glendon tied the game up scoring one.

The Atom Avalanche had their hands full with this team who has a strong defense, good skating forwards and great goaltending. The shots were even and the game tied at 3 all after forty minutes on goals by Mad Dog and Evett ‘Snoop Dog’ Smereka.  Defenseman ‘Boe Dog’ St. George and Braylee ‘Wee Willy’ Lesyk moving the puck up to them picking up the assists.

Early in the third period Mad Dog would break his chain go on a runaway and score one top shelf all on his own. Then Kaysen ‘Dynamite’ DeMossiac would do the same. Dynamite picked the pocket of the Glendon defenseman and went in all alone, scoring his up top corner too. Glendon turning up the heat late in the third, but goalie Goodyear Charlie saved the day. Goodyear made two monster saves in the third period when Glendon burned our defense. Glendon then calling a time out and pulling their goalie with two minutes left in the game, but Mad Dog would score an empty netter giving him the hat trick and the icing on the cake for the tired and worn out boys.

In out of town action bantam aged player ‘Wild Wyatt’ Pavol is now playing in Vermilion this year on their Tier III team and was called up last week to play on the tier two team. He assisted on a goal and has now been asked to join the team who will be hosting the Bantam B Provincial finals in March. Wild Wyatt only started playing  organized hockey two years ago in Elk Point . Because of low numbers our bantam aged players are now all scattered across the Lakeland this year.

Down in Camrose this past Sunday, novice aged Bode ‘the Badger’ Bassett was called up to the Atom team to play in a provincial round robin game.  Badger played on the right wing and picked up an assist in the game that ended in a five all tie against Edgerton.