Historic week for Pontiacs sees 4 wins and 30 goals

Parents weekend saw the hypnotist Jesse Lewis dazzle on Friday night, before the players hypnotized the opposition in the games that followed. 

It was a week Yaks fans won’t soon forget – four wins on home ice and 30 goals combined in the wins, an explosion of offence for now the league’s second high scoring team. 

On Sunday, Nicolas Beaudoin scored a hat-trick to break the franchise record for most goals in a season by a rookie with 36. Matteo Giampa chimed in with six assists – the second team this year he’s had a six point game – and Quinton Gove scored a pair of 3rd period goals, as the Pontiacs beat the Calgary Canucks 8-5. 

Those three were then crowned the AJHL players of the week: Giampa best player, Beaudoin best rookie, and Gove best defensive player. 

Despite all the offence, it was not a pretty game on Sunday, with some defensive zone breakdowns and turnovers, that Bonnyville was able to score their way out of. 

“We were able maybe to outscore a little bit of our problems,” said assistant coach Connor Cadaret post-game. 

“It was kind of predictable that something like that was gonna happen along this stretch of games where we’ve been playing really well. But yeah, sloppy, messy, just unfocused for a lot of the game.”

Since surrendering a four-goal comeback to the Sherwood Park Crusaders on Jan. 15, the Yaks boast a record of 10-1, including a seven game win streak. 

The Yaks used one of their best periods of the season on Saturday en route to a 8-2 win over the Olds Grizzlys. 

Tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, Bonnyville found the back of the net five times. 

“In the second period, we started playing with more pace, more support, and using free ice,” said head coach Mario Pouliot.  

“The game at some point was too fast for them. That’s the reason why we scored five unanswered goals in the second period. Honestly, 4th line, all the D, were doing pretty well last night.

The race is on to push the Whitecourt Wolverines for the second seed. 

Bonnyville sits three points back of Whitecourt, but the northern rivals have two games in hand. That positioning will likely be decided by a weekend set at the Scott Safety Center Feb. 24 and 25. 

Heading into a stretch that still sees the Yaks play the cellar-dwelling Drayton Valley Thunder three times and the 7th in the North Grande Prairie Storm twice, the Yaks top forwards could very well rack up more accolades. 

Matteo Giampa is four points, 84, behind Aiden Fink for the league lead, while also leading in assists. Nico Beaudoin is now one goal ahead of Fink for overall lead with 36, sitting 6th overall in points and first amongst rookie. 

Rookie Max Seguin is now 13th in points with 24 goals and 33 assists, and 3rd amongst rookies. 

Jack Budd continues to lead defensemen in goals, hitting the 20 goal plateau this week as well. 

“We haven’t had a ton of time to be able to actually practice just because we’ve had four games in the last six days. So rest, recovery, make sure everyone’s healthy. I think we need to take a little bit better care of ourselves, especially on a weekend like this. It is kind of predictable that that kind of thing was gonna happen. But it’s been a long week.”

Yaks postgame with Connor Cadaret and Greg Schmidt

Chayce Schmidt achieved rarified air by suiting up in his 175th regular season with the Pontiacs on Saturday. His father Greg Schmidt joined Michael Menzies in the postgame on Saturday.

Luka Sukovic 

Luka Sukovic extended his point streak to six games on Sunday. Here he chats with Michael Menzies before the Sunday matinee.

Mike Cataldo commits to Brown

On Thursday, Yaks rookie forward Mike Cataldo committed to Brown University. He talks about that decision before Saturday evening’s affair.