SPORTSHOUND: First things first

Tales from the Timebox: January 11th, 2022

Happy New Year everyone. Hope Santa was good to you! The first weekend of the new year and other than the cold and snowy weather, the start of the year has been really good for our Elk Point Avalanche teams.

U7 Avalanche

The U7 team travelled to Dewberry early this past Saturday morning. It was the first game of the new year and many firsts for some of our youngest players. ‘Awesome Lawson’ Moneta scoring his very first goal ever. He liked it so much he then adding two more. Same thing for Gavin ‘Badger’ Brousseau scoring his first goal ever and then banging home another three. Aiden ‘Sweet Pea’ Barstad with her first goal of this year. I do believed she had a couple of goals last year. She didn’t stop there, she also scored a couple more. Kenzie ‘Cookie’ Leathem with a couple of goals. Lynden Oracheski doing some terrific fore- checking adding a few assists. The rookies getting a little help from their friends. Second year veterans Cohen ‘Big Horn’ Brousseau and Landon ‘Lights Out’ St. Arnault  becoming the set-up men. Both of them were very instrumental in helping all the young rookies score their first goals in this game. No doubt they could have scored many goals themselves, but the unselfish tandem was more than happy with the multiple assists.

U13 Avalanche

The U13 played an exhibition game on Saturday morning against a LLoydminister house league team winning 8 to 2. Two goals and an assist for the sniper Remington ‘Steel’ Reynolds.  ‘Wild Wyatt’ Fontaine throwing it into high gear going all out with two goals and an assist.  Brendan ‘Buzz Saw’ Kadutski cutting a path to the net with two goals, he also added three assists. ‘Without a Trace’ Morgan sneaking in with a goal and an assist. Tristan ‘Bobcat’ Brousseau hopped up on the doorstep with a goal on the power play. He also added an assist.

The big three D men Jaxon ‘Smitty’ Smith,  Boe Dog St. George, and Kale ‘the Hawk’ Ockerman all with an assist or two. Wing man Jackson ‘J. R.’ Rawlake with some intense fore checking to create a turnover adding an assist. Owen ‘Ollie the Goalie’ Gryuliak was not very busy. At times I’m sure it was very cold waiting for some action in his end of the rink. But he did stay alert and made a few big saves when the Blazers did manage to get through the defense.

On Sunday, Ollie couldn’t make the game, so Buzz Saw strapped on the big pads and took on the goaltending duties. Buzz Saw has played in the cage before many times last year and had no problem taking on the task, allowing only one goal in a 5 to 1 win over Edgerton/Chauvin.  Remington Steel sniping another couple of goals. Long limbed Smitty moved up to for forward line in this game scored a goal and added two assists. Solid D Man Boe Dog with a goal and an assist. Without a Trace with a goal. The Hawk with two assists, Bobcat with an assist. Liam ‘Sledgehammer’ Swedgen doing a great job of fore -checking creating a little pressure adding an assist. Defense woman Kestyn ‘Crocodile’ Quinney on the blue line pinching and keeping the opposition pined in their own end.

Coaches will tell you a there’s never a bad shot on net. Major Tom Melnyk proved that on Saturday by scoring one from center ice. The Major was dumping the puck in and it took a funny bounce, fooled the goalie and went in. That was the first of two goals by the Major who scored his second assisted by Hudson ‘the Bull’ Brousseau. The Avalanche were trailing by two goals late in the game when William ‘Billy Bob’ Ballas headed up ice going coast to coast all alone to make the game interesting. Then on a face off late in the game, the Bull winning the draw in the opposition end of the rink, setting up a one timer into the twine by big man Jaxon ‘ Magic’ Marcoux who tied the game with just barely two minutes left.  The final score 4 all, but at that point it felt like a win to the Avalanche.

The next day against Mallaig the Avalanche found themselves in the same situation, but ran out of time, losing this one 4 to 3. Things were looking really good at the start of the game. Magic scored a goal before most people had even found their seats. Then Billy Bob scored his first of two goals right after that. The Avalanche leading 2 to 0 at this point. But the Monarchs would storm back scoring four goals. Billy Bob getting his second in the middle of the third period to make it close, but no cigar for the Avalanche on this day who were beaten by the buzzer! The raging Bull setting up Billy Bob with two helpers. Worker bees, Ava ‘the Red Baron’ Rawlake and the little D Man  Hudson ‘the Hammer’ Krankowski also with an assist each.

 

U18 Avalanche

After almost a full three -week layoff, the U18 faced the big tough competition from St. Paul on Saturday night here at home. These guys are tall and stout and don’t mind throwing their weight around, giving the Avalanche all they could handle. Goalie Trent ‘Champion’ Chartand held his own in net and gave the boys a fighting chance,  but the Canadiens would keep coming in waves. The final 8 to 4 for the Canadiens. Shots on goal were pretty close but the quality of shots would have to be in favor of the Canadiens who seemed to be able to penetrate our defense. Mick Jager Fontaine scoring two goals and adding two assists on the other two. Micky’s second goal was one of the nicest goals I have witnessed all year. Or ever for that matter. Whipping a beauty right upstairs in the top corner with lightning speed. Sam ‘Spiderman’ Rogal and Everett Deschamps adding one goal  each.  Owen ‘Fonzie’ Fontaine with two helpers.

 

U15 Avalanche

The U15 Avalanche who are sitting in second place in the league travelled to Provost on Saturday night to take on the undefeated league leaders, losing a barn burner to the top team in the league 3 to 2. Not only was it a tough pill to swallow losing the game; but they also lost their top scorer, the sniper ‘Top Gunner’ Crawford with a fractured collar bone. Top Gunner and Tray ‘Scooby Doo’ Thomas – Calliou scoring for the Avalanche. ‘Bo Diddley’ Fontaine, and the Flamand brothers Kaleb ‘Formula One’ and Madden ‘Mad Dog’ all with assists.

On Sunday the U15 hosted Lac La Biche winning this one 7 to zip. Goalie Alex ‘Plywood’ Patterson  shutting the door and boarding up all the cracks with the shut out. Two goals each for ‘Scooby Doo’  and ‘Bo Diddley’.  Clayton ‘Cha Ching’ Toes with a goal and two assists. Kaysen ‘Dynamite’ DeMossiac and Evett ‘Snoop Dog’ Smereka with one goal each. Three assists for the free -wheeling rushing defenseman Quinton ‘Rampage’ Quinney- Dumont. Gavin ‘Green Light’ Kadutski, Brendon ‘Blue Line’ Haesch, and two brothers Mad Dog’ and F- 1  all with an assist.

 

U9 Avalanche

The U9 team travelled to Paradise Valley on a bitter cold Saturday morning to play a half ice, four on four game. The final score not officially recorded was within a few goals. Goalie Stetson ‘Shack’ Reynolds was stellar in net for the Avalanche. Tor ‘the Tornado’ Aarbo and Jace ‘the Jackal’ Malo scored multiple goals each. Aspyn ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly scored one. Normally in the U 9 level they would only take a short 2 minute break between the two 30 minute periods. But on this day, it was just as cold inside the building as outside so the teams took a much longer intermission to warm up. Sounds a lot like our very own A.G. Ross Arena. Our ice box may thaw out sometime around the first of June!