Canadiens lose to Bandits, sets up race to finish for playoff seeding

The Lloyd Bandits scored five unanswered goals and shook up the race for positioning atop the NEAJBHL standings by defeating the St. Paul Canadiens on Saturday night 6-4.

The Canadiens had a path by winning out their remaining games to finish in 1st heading into the post-season, but this loss now puts Wainwright in the drivers seat, and a three-way tie in 2nd with St. Paul, Vermilion, and Killam.

All will determine seedings for the first round of playoffs, which all eight league teams will enter.

“We’re gonna continue to do the things that we do,” said coach Corey deMossiac after the game. “We’re gonna practice every day and we’re gonna work hard and fine tune a bunch of things. A few mental mistakes tonight, and those come to cost you.”

It began glowingly: an opening goal 15 seconds after puck drop from Kelton McAuley, and markers from Kurtis Labant and William Chemago for an early 4-1 lead in the 2nd period.

The Bandits scored twice before the end of the frame, before getting goals from Grady Priest, and two from Joel Webb to seal the comeback.

Lloyd, sitting in 5th place, would play the 4th seed in the first round of the playoffs.

St. Paul has two games remaining on the docket: at the Cold Lake Ice on Friday night and at the Killam Wheat Kings on Saturday. They would need to win both games and have the Wainwright Bisons lose to Lloyd on Friday to clinch first place.

Vermilion also has two games remaining against Vegreville and Cold Lake.

Scholarships presented

Canadiens players Matthew MacDonald, Treston Moisey, and Ethin Campbell were each presented with Alumni Foundation athletic legacy scholarships on Saturday as well, presented by Saik Insurance – Cooperators, MCSNet, and Portage College.

“It’s good you know, I’ve been focussed on my academics as well as my athletics. So it’s good to be recognized for that,” said Treston Moisey.

“It means a lot being a student athlete and competing everyday,” said Campbell.

“It’s awesome, it’s great to be appreciated,” said MacDonald. “It’s going towards my engineering.”