Whitecourt, AB – The Whitecourt Wolverines (25-10-5) picked up their third consecutive win on Tuesday night by blanking the visiting Lloydminster Bobcats (15-24-2) by a score of 3-0.
The Wolverines opened the scoring exactly 13 minutes into the game with Mackenzie Harden one-timing home a centering pass from Liam Motley just after a power play had expired. The Wolverines carried their 1-0 lead into the intermission after controlling much of the play in the opening frame, outshooting the Bobcats 20-5 thanks in part to a 3-1 advantage in power plays.
The second period would end just like the first with the score sitting at 1-0 in favor of the Wolverines. Also, just like the first period, Bobcat goalie Pierce Diamond recorded 19 saves in the middle stanza as the Wolverines carried a 39-13 shot advantage into the second intermission. While Diamond was the busier of the two goalies, Wolverine’s starter Xavier Potvin turned in the save of the night in the period just under six minutes in as Zach Kaiser found himself alone in front of Potvin but his top-shelf bid was erased by Potvin’s glove hand.
The Wolverines would finally breakthrough on Diamond again just over 30 seconds into the third period; Estian Coetzee chipped a puck out to the neutral zone that sent Spencer Bast and Jaedon Leslie in on a two-on-one rush where Bast would elect to keep and shoot, beating Diamond over the blocker from the left-wing circle. Coetzee would add the final dagger of the night scoring into an empty-net in the final minute.
The Wolverines are back in action on Thursday night as they pay a visit to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (29-6-3) at 7:30 p.m.
Whitecourt Wolverine’s head coach Gord Thibodeau discusses his team’s victory:
Scoring Summary
1st Period:
WCT Goal – 13:00 – Mackenzie Harden(4) from Liam Motley and Ben Evanish (EV)
2nd Period:
No Scoring
3rd Period:
WCT Goal – 0:35 – Spencer Bast(10) from Estian Coetzee and Jaedon Leslie (EV)
WCT Goal – 19:58 – Estian Coetzee(18) from Spencer Bast (EV/EN)
Shots – WCT 49 (20-19-10) LLYD 20 (5-8-7)
Power plays – WCT 0/6 LLYD 0/3
Goalies:
WCT – Xavier Potvin (19-8-4) 20sv/20sh
LLYD – Pierce Diamond (6-14-0) 46sv/48sh
Three Star Selection:
1. WCT-Mackenzie Harden
2. WCT-Xavier Potvin
3.LLYD-Pierce Diamond
Hardest Working Wolverine: Spencer Bast.
Recap presented by:
