Vermilion tops St. Paul Canadiens, ‘Yens shutout Border Chiefs

The Vermilion Tigers had seven different goal scorers to get past the St. Paul Canadiens on Friday night 7-5. 

It was the first of two on the weekend for the ‘Yens, who shutout the Onion Lake Border Chiefs the following night 5-0. 

At the Clancy Richard, the Canadiens suffered an injury to goaltender Bradley Mistol just 35 seconds into the game to further set back a banged up crease already without Ethin Campbell. 

Brady Scrannage came out in relief to play the remainder of the game. 

The action was back and forth in the first two periods, knotted up 3-3 as Parker Sabatier, Treston Moisey, and Isaak Watters chimed in offensively for St. Paul. 

But the Tigers potted four markers in the penultimate period, including three unanswered in the span of 1:13 to collect their 13th win of the season. 

“I thought we had good energy to start the game and we came out and we didn’t pay attention to the details and things that we need to do, and those things come back to haunt you,” said coach Corey deMossiac in the post-game. 

“It was a message that some of the guys need to look at themselves in the mirror and they need to really think to themselves what they’re going to do to make this team better and that’s just what’s going to happen.” 

Canadiens bounce back

And that is what happened on the road the following night. 

The Canadiens surrendered just 11 shots against, while Matthew McDonald, Parker Sabatier, Bradley Hlina, Kurtis Labant, and Kelton McAuley found the back of the net to win 5-0. 

Sabatier’s three point night gives him 16 points now on the season. 

The likes of Isaak Watters, Kurtis Labant, and William Chemago have paved the way offensively for the club, scoring 27, 25, and 20 points respectively. 

While St. Paul sits first in the NEAJBHL with a record of 14-3-2, it is getting crowded at the top of the standings. 

The Wainwright Bisons have three games in hand on St. Paul and sit just two points behind. The Vermilion Tigers have handed the Bisons their only two losses of the season and are tied with Wainwright, but have played four more games. 

The Killam Wheat Kings are then six points behind the Bisons and Tigers in fourth and the Lloyd Bandits are two points back of Killam in fifth. 

Vermilion’s Connor Roscoe has been enjoying a terrific season offensively, leading the NEAJBHL with eight goals and 27 assists. 

St. Paul doesn’t suit up against until Friday against the one-win Vegreville Rangers at home, before heading south to take on the Wainwright Bisons on Saturday night. 

Their last game before the Christmas break is Tuesday, Dec. 20 against the Cold Lake Ice.