Pontiacs take three points against Whitecourt to start season

With the home opener right around the corner on Friday night, the Bonnyville Pontiacs went to the fifth round of the shootout twice this weekend and came away from the Scott Safety Centre with three points against the Whitecourt Wolverines.

The Pontiacs got the edge in the season-opener with a 2-1 win but fell on Saturday night 4-3.

Newcomer from Boston College Prep, Thomas Kramer, scored in each game and linemates Lucas Thorne and Matt McKim were the most dangerous line for the Pontiacs.

Starting goaltender Easton Hesse had three save-of-the-year candidates in the third period on Friday night as the game was tied 1-1, sprawling across the crease in desperation for another pair to keep the game square.

After overtime solved nothing, the Wolverines and Pontiacs went back and forth with goals. Marc Benoit and Daine Dubois each scored to keep the game alive, when former Yak Ethan Leyer hit the post to set the stage for Lucas Thorne who used a ridiculous backhand-forehand move to win the game.

Great stuff!! Lucas Thorne finishes it off! Shootout win 2-1 for the @BPontiacs ! Thx @PeterStathYYC https://t.co/OOOp45ukKy

— Bonnyville Pontiacs (@BPontiacs) September 14, 2019

On Saturday, the Wolverines jumped on the Pontiacs early thanks to Ben Wood’s point shot from an Eric Perneel faceoff win, followed up by Cassidy Bowes patience on display for a 2-0 first-period lead.

Lucas Thorne capitalized on the powerplay moments later which set up a long stalemate at 2-1 until the third period.

Kramer used open ice and deft stickhandling to make the game 3-2, but Cassidy Bowes fired a wicked one-timer from the faceoff dot to re-establish the lead.

However, with four minutes left on the clock, the grinding fourth line of Jaden York, Kash Rasmussen, and Tyson Gayfer created chaos in front of Wolverines goaltender Vincent Duplessis.

York deflected Alex Marrocco’s point shot to tie the game 3-3 and eventually give the Yaks another point in the standings.

And it must’ve been the harvest moon, but on back-to-back nights the North Division rivals went to the fifth round of the shootout, but there was only one goal from the ten shooters.

Hayden Clayton snuck the puck past Hesse and Benoit was denied to ensure the win for Whitecourt.

The Pontiacs will be home Friday and Saturday night against the Drayton Valley Thunder with puck drop at 7pm each night.