GAME RECAP
Whitecourt- Wolverines (7-7-2) made their first trip to Fort McMurray of the season for a Friday and Saturday night double header on the road against the Oil Barons (7-10-1). Wolverines came into Friday?s contest with an away penalty kill percentage of 96%, first in the league when away and a powerplay percentage of 13.64%, ranking 11th on the road. Fort McMurray Oil Barons rank 12th in the league at home and came into the game with a 11.43% on the power play and 73.33% on the penalty kill.
November 1
Wolverines #31 Vincent Duplessis would start in net, while #30 Evan Fradette would get the start for the MOB. Wolverines would open the scoring midway through the first period from a point shot from Spencer Augot, assisted by Ethan Green and Hayden Clayton on the powerplay. Shots in the 1st were 11-9 Whitecourt. The second period Fort McMurray Oil Barons would tie the game at 1 early with a goal from Ty Budai assisted by Tyler Wallace and Jonathan Assayag. Whitecourt would give up a short-handed goal to the MOB at 8:48 when Ryan Conroy would break out to score, assisted from Jesse Burchart and Luke Harvie. Shots in the 2nd were 15-12 Wolverines. Whitecourt Wolverines were on a penalty kill when Ryan Conroy would take a 5-minute major for high sticking Cassidy Bowes behind the play. There was about one-minute left in Green?s hooking penalty when Sam Anderson would drive to the net to score at 12:28 four on four, from Joshua Corrow and Kaleb Ergang. Less than a minute later Adam Sandstrom would make a pass attempt to Labant on the powerplay, which directed back to him after bouncing off a skate and he found the top hand corner over Fradette moving the Wolverines into a 3-2 lead, assists from Cassidy Bowes and Brayden Labant. Wolverines would remain on the powerplay until late in the 3rd. MOB would get a zone face-off and pull Fradette for the extra man. During the dying moments of the game, Ergang would pick the puck from the defense at the line and fire it down for an empty net goal to cap the game off 4-2. Wolverines outshot the MOB in the 3rd 13-4, for a final shot count of 39-25. Sandstrom, with a goal and assist, earned himself the Viterra Away Star of the Game for the fifth time this season.
November 2
In tonight?s matchup, goaltender #1 Chris Curr for the MOB would get the start while #31 Vincent Duplessis would stay in the pipes for the Wolverines. During the first shift Sandstrom would fire the 2nd shot of the game from the point with Anderson getting his stick on it for a tip getting the Wolverines on the board at 1:01 of the first period. The MOB would tie it up on the power play at 4:02 with a goal from Ty Ettinger when he jumped up off the point to grab the rebound off the boards, assisted by Konrad Belcourt and Brendan Stafford. Whitecourt Wolverines would regain the lead at 12:02 with a goal from Brayden Labant assisted by Ben Wood. MOB breakout off a miss handled puck at the blue line that gets picked up by Tyler Wallace and Ty Budai with Jonathan Assayag finding the back of the net on the rebound to tie the game at 2. Shots in the first period would finish at 13-11 for the Wolverines. Only one goal in the second period and it came from the Fort McMurray Oil Barons at 18:14 on the power play when Hunter Lamb finds the rebound from Michael Hodge and Kabore Dunn. Shots in the second were 9-8 for the MOB. Cole Carrier scores blocker side on a feed from Joshua Corrow and Tyler Mahan at 1:20 of the 3rd period to tie the game at 3. At 10:04 Joshua Corrow passes to Cassidy Bowes down low who would feed the puck to Leyer in front of the MOB net and puts it past Curr to regain the Wolverines lead to 4-3. The following shift Labant passes to Anderson in the MOB zone and he goes top hand corner blocker side to make it 5-3. At 10:50 Ryan Wallz walks in from center ice past the defenders and fires a shot low gloves side and finds the back of the net to make it 6-3, with 3 goals for the Wolverines in under 1 minute of play. Shortly after this goal, Ethan Leyer took a blow to the head hit from Max Struss and paramedics had to be called to help him from the ice. Struss received a 5-minute major penalty for hit to the head, while Green received an instigation penalty in the fight that followed with Struss. Once play resumed Spitzer would find Sandstrom down low, who goes top hand on the blocker side to make it 7-3 Wolverines. Whitecourt Wolverines would score again after Green’s penalty expired on the power play at 15:14 when Tyler Mahan tips a shot from Nolan Doell, from Ben Wood. Shots in the third were 26-6 Whitecourt to cap off the shot clock at 47- 26 shots for Whitecourt and an 8-3 final score. Sam Anderson earned the Viterra Away Star of the Game after scoring 2 goals in tonights contest.
Whitecourt Wolverines are with our friend and teammate Ethan Leyer at this time and will give an update on his injury soon.
Wolverines are now 9W – 7L- 2OTL and in 4th place in the north division with 20 points. Wolverines move to 17.65% on the powerplay and continue to hold the highest away penalty kill percentage in the AJHL with 90.91% after this weekend.
We haven?t seen the last of the MOB this week as they are coming to the Scott Safety Centre November 9 for RBC night and November 10 for an afternoon game where we will hold a Remembrance Day pre-game ceremony.
For tickets go to https://www.whitecourtwolverines.ca/tickets/tickets/game-day-tickets.html to get your seat early!!
WOLVERINES POINT LEADERS
Cassidy Bowes and Kaleb Ergang are tied at 14 points, 5 goals and 8 assists each.
Adam Sandstrom and Hayden Clayton are tied at 12 points
Ethan Leyer, Cole Carrier and Brayden Labant are tied at 9 points.
Goaltender Vincent Duplessis has a .913 save percentage.
