Drumheller, AB – The Whitecourt Wolverines (29-14-5) kicked off their three-game South Division weekend road trip with a 5-1 loss in Drumheller against the Dragons (25-20-3).
The Dragons scored twice in the first period before the game was ten minutes old. First, Brady Risk tapped in a rebound on a Dragon power play and then Alex Rotundo showed off some slick hands with a nice goal on a two-on-one rush. The Dragons took their lead into the first intermission.
The Dragons added to their lead early and late in the second period. Just over two minutes in, Jordan Taupert made it a 3-0 game as he stepped out from below the goal line and roofed a short-side shot. Taupert was back at it with under five minutes to play in the frame, this time chiseling in another rebound on a Dragon power play. Before the period was out, Matthew Monk would trim the Wolverine's deficit to 4-1 as he rocketed home a point shot. A chippy second period hit its boiling point around the midway mark when Yannik Bertrand for the Wolverines and Tyson Scott for the Dragons engaged in a spirited scrap inside the Dragon's zone.
The Dragons tacked on one more goal late in the game as Jordan Taupert put in his hat-trick goal on a centering pass from Rotundo.
The Wolverines are back in action Saturday night when they pay a visit to the Brooks Bandits () for a rematch of last year's AJHL League Final at 7 p.m.
Scoring Summary
1st Period:
DD Goal – 6:01 – Brady Risk(7) from Slater Dykema and Dawson Bruneski (PP)
DD Goal – 9:39 – Alex Rotundo(12) from Jordan Taupert (EV)
2nd Period:
DD Goal – 2:11 – Jordan Taupert(20) unassisted (EV)
DD Goal – 16:26 – Jordan Taupert(21) from Alex Rotundo and Bradley Stonnell (PP)
WCT Goal – 17:53 – Matthew Monk(5) from Stevie Bryant and Ben Evanish (EV)
3rd Period:
DD Goal – 18:30 – Jordan Taupert(22) from Alex Rotundo (EV)
Shots – WCT 23 (9-7-7) DD 37 (14-9-14)
Power plays – WCT 0/4 DD 2/4
Goalies:
WCT – Tye Morin (7-4-1) 32sv/37sh
DD – Hunter Virostek (19-13-2) 22sv/23sh
Three Star Selection:
1. DD-Jordan Taupert
2. DD-Alex Rotundo
3. DD-Dawson Bruneski
Hardest Working Wolverine: Matthew Monk.
Recap presented by: