Fort McMurray, AB – The Whitecourt Wolverines (25-11-5) saw their three-game win streak come to an end on Thursday night with a 5-4 loss to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (30-6-3).
The Oil Barons got off to a quick start scoring twice in the opening 7:41 of the game. Trevor Schroder got on the board first with a beautiful short-side top-shelf shot from the right-wing circle. Nicholas Leeseberg increased the home sides lead to 2-0 as he deposited a rebound generated from a Reed Morison shot. The Wolverines were able to grab some momentum late in the first period with Tyr Thompson scoring a power play goal with 2.7 seconds left in the period after some great work by Stevie Bryant, Ben Evanish and Jude Butler down low.
That momentum would carry through the intermission as just 1:40 into the middle frame, Bryant got the game tied as he one-timed in a slick centering pass from Butler. 3:09 later, the Wolverines had their first lead; Matthew Monk got a shot to the net that Oil Baron goalie Chris Curr made the initial save on, but Evanish was able to lift home the rebound for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season. The Barons got back on their game after falling behind and late in the period, they would recapture their lead. Will Conley won a board battle and sifted in a backhand shot with 3:02 left in the period and then Domenico Argento put the Oil Barons up 4-3 with a one-timer on a power play with 1:28 left on the clock.
The third period was tight checking, but Liam Motley would create a turnover inside the Oil Barons zone and the feed the puck ahead to Chase Haygarth who took the puck from the right-wing circle towards the left and then fired back the other way to beat Curr, squaring the game at 4-4. Late in the game, the Wolverines were afforded a later power play and a chance to perhaps win the game in regulation, but it would the Oil Barons seizing the moment as Morison picked off a neutral zone pass and busted in on a breakaway lifting a shot over Wolverine goalie Tye Morin’s blocker to give his team their third and final lead of the night with 2:58 left on the clock. The goal was the Oil Barons league-leading 12th shorthanded goal of the year and the first the Wolverine have surrendered.
The Wolverines are back in action tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in Bonnyville as they pay a visit to the Pontiacs (13-20-7)
Scoring Summary
1st Period:
FM Goal – 2:53 – Trevor Schroder(2) from Luke Harvie (EV)
FM Goal – 7:41 – Nicholas Leeseberg(10) from Reed Morison and Jack Hamly (EV)
WCT Goal – 19:57 – Tyr Thompson(15) from Stevie Bryant and Ben Evanish (PP)
2nd Period:
WCT Goal – 1:40 – Stevie Bryant(9) from Jude Butler and Ben Evanish (EV)
WCT Goal – 4:49 – Ben Evanish(22) from Matthew Monk and Stevie Bryant (EV)
FM Goal – 16:58 – Will Conley(29) from Shane Fraser (EV)
FM Goal – 18:32 – Domenico Argento(3) from Reed Morison and Taner Miller (PP)
3rd Period:
WCT Goal – 6:52 – Chase Haygarth(2) from Liam Motlet (EV)
FM Goal – 17:02 – Reed Morison(21) unassisted (SH)
Shots – WCT 24 (7-6-11) FM 34 (11-8-15)
Power plays – WCT 1/4 FM 1/5
Goalies:
WCT – Tye Morin (6-3-1) 29sv/34sh
FM – Chris Curr (12-1-2) 20sv/24sh
Three Star Selection:
1. FM-Reed Morison
2. WCT-Stevie Bryant
3. FM-Will Conley
Hardest Working Wolverine: Chase Haygarth.
Recap presented by:
