Pontiacs hope to find finish heading into next weekend

There wasn’t much separating the Bonnyville Pontiacs and Whitecourt Wolverines in their pair of weekend games — one team scored on their scoring chances and the other did not. And while there are many factors that make up the difference between winning and losing, that has been a sense of struggle for the Pontiacs this season.

The Yaks dropped both home games by scores of 5-3 and 6-1 to their North Division foe, which sees their record slip to 9-7-2 on the season and closes out a difficult October month of travel at 5-5-2.

On Saturday night, Bonnyville trailed 2-1 entering the 3rd period, but surrendered two early markers in the frame to trail by three. Matteo Giampa then turned on the jets to try and stage a comeback with a pair of goals, as the forechecking pressure and relentless work ethic drew the Pontiacs within one. But they could not find the equalizer and Kaiden Wiltsie buried the empty-netter.

Looking for revenge the next afternoon, the Pontiacs had a good first period but remain knotted at zeros after 20 minutes. Then to start the second, the Yaks rung the crossbar at one end, before Aiden Long collected the puck, went outside-inside on the Yaks defenders and roofed home a highlight reel goal.

It started a stretch where the Pontiacs went down 3-0 midway through the game. Jack Budd, in just his second game with the Yaks since being acquired from the Grande Prairie Storm, backed the puck off the back of Whitecourt goaltender Matt Schoephoerster to give Bonnyville a glimmer heading into the intermission. It did not last though, as the Wolverines walked in and struck three times with long range wristers by Ryan Manzella, to seal the contest 6-1.

“I think it was just frustrating because I think for most of the game, we deserved a better fate. I mean, we out shot them 14-7 in the first period. Second period, same thing. We just couldn’t finish our chances,” said assistant coach Connor Cadaret postgame on Sunday. 

“We just got to find a way to bear down and finish our chances if we’re generating stuff. And we’re getting it done. Even on the powerplay there in the third, two backdoor open nets that we miss. We got to find a way to put the puck in the back of the net, we just got to bear down.” 

New faces hope to round out blueline

Nearing a third of the way through the AJHL season, the Pontiacs haven’t been able to dress six regular defencemen too often, but recent moves hope to rectify this, and allow rookie Brayden Vandenbilche to move back to the forward ranks.

Early last week, the Yaks shipped Alex Atwill and Kaiden Bugera to the Grande Prairie Storm for (’03) defenceman Jack Budd. Budd figures to play top-4 defensive minutes for the team moving forward, as he did in his debut weekend. As of Tuesday, he is tied with Josh Simpson with 10 points from the blueline.

Quinton Gove’s paperwork is awaiting the okay from USA Hockey to join the club. The 20-year-old was playing in the NCDC before being snatched up by the Pontiacs. Gove played 47 AJHL games last season with the Drayton Valley Thunder and Lloydminster Bobcats, but it is uncertain if he’ll be able to suit up for the Pontiacs against Canmore and Olds this weekend.

Meanwhile, another 20-year-old made his Bonnyville debut in Victor Barakett. By way of the Merritt Centennials, Barakett is a big bodied forward who is difficult to knock off of pucks. He was seeing increased ice time as Saturday’s game progressed.

Quick hits: 

• Bonnyville will play 6 of their 11 games in November at home and hope to improve the record at the RJ Lalonde Arena. So far this season, the Yaks are 3-4-2 at home, but that includes the home designation given for their win vs Drumheller at the AJHL Showcase.
• Few create as many scoring chances as Matteo Giampa, but it leads fans to wonder how many points the dynamic forward who have if he could get hot on the power. Leading the AJHL in even strength scoring with 22 points, Giampa has just three assists while on the man advantage. Overall, he is 9th in league scoring.
• Giampa is currently on a 5 game point streak, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists in that time.
• The Pontiacs will head south for Saturday and Sunday games against Canmore and Olds this weekend. They are 3-0-1 against South Division opponents this year, and this breaks a stretch of nine straight against their own division.
• Last season, the Pontiacs lost in each of those buildings.
• Currently, the Olds Grizzlys are an 11 game losing streak.
• Bonnyville sits 3rd in the AJHL North, one point ahead of the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The Crusaders played just seven games in the month of October, but return to action for the first time since Oct. 22 tonight Drayton Valley. They have four games in hand on the Yaks.

Skate with Pontiacs, Halloween crosswalks

After the Sunday game, kids strapped on the skates to take the ice with the Pontiacs for the first time this season. A yearly tradition, it allows young hockey fans to get up close and personal with their junior hockey heroes.

Trick-or-treaters were also guided safely across the streets in town on Halloween night, as the Yaks worked the crosswalks amidst the spooky costumes.

Weekend coverage

You can listen to every Pontiacs game all season long on lakelandconnect.thedev.ca/pontiacs. Puck drop vs the Canmore Eagles is Saturday night at 7:00pm and Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm vs the Olds Grizzlys.