Game 3 between the Lacombe Generals and the Stony Plain Eagles promised to be a wild affair, after Game 2 saw Lacombe lose in a tight 4-3 overtime game.
The Generals would answer the call and go on to win 7-2 in a break out evening.
“It was a bounce back-game we wanted. We didn’t want to dwell to much on the last game and we wanted to come out well. I think we did that,” Generals forward Jesse Todd said.
The Generals, thankfully, were returning to the familiar confines of the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex and were looking to tank a 2-1 lead in the Senior AAA Alberta Provincial Finals.
The Generals were on a mission in the first period, with line after line applying pressure and getting pucks on to Generals’ netminder Davis Jones.
Eventually Generals’ forward Nolan Huysmans solved the riddle and beat Jones on a rebound, putting Lacombe up 1-0.
Despite the Generals getting 20 shots on net in the first period, they were unable to extend their lead further in the period and would head into the second only up one goal.
The Generals came out on fire in the second frame after Kyle Bailey and Todd both found the back of the net in the first minute of play, putting Lacombe up 3-0.
Desperately needing a goal to stay in the game, the Eagles’ Luc Vandale managed to sneak one past Jake Deserres on the powerplay, putting them within two and still in contention.
The goal gave the Eagles new wings in the period after another Generals penalty led to a goal by Cody Rainaldi, which put Stony Plain to within one.
In a flurry of action, a blast from Ian Barteaux, followed by a goal by Myles Bell, followed quickly by a goal from Todd put the Generals up 6-2 in a flash, clipping the Eagles’ wings and putting them out of Game 3.
“We wanted to get traffic to the net to try to disturb them (Eagles goalies). I thought we did that and if you get enough quality shots in traffic, they are going to go in,” Todd said.
Lacombe would head into the final frame with little in doubt, up 6-2.
Frustration started to boil over in the third period after Generals’ Colin Valcourt took a penalty for roughing, after which he tossed his opponents helmet into the Eagles’ bench. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would add an additional two minutes onto his sentence.
“We try to skate away and stay out of that stuff. I think we will be fine the rest of the way if we do that,” Todd said.
The Eagles’ small hope would be short lived, however, after they took a penalty of their own two minutes into the Generals’ penalty, nullifying their advantage.
Devin Ganner would score a late goal on a two on one break which would put this game to bed. The Generals would go on to win with a final score of 7-2.
Game 4 goes tomorrow night in Stony Plain at 7:30 p.m., with Game 5 coming next Wednesday in Lacombe.
“It is always nice to play at home but it is no different going there. We know what their building is like and how they play there. We have to be ready for their start tomorrow. They will be pretty pumped coming out after a game like tonight,” Todd said.
The Lacombe Generals would go on to make a huge statement in Game 4 and now have an opportunity to punch their ticket to the Allan Cup.
The Game was all square after one, after the Eagles scored the first and fourth goals of the game. Myles Bell and Tanner Korchinski were the goal scorers for the Generals.
Lacombe was able to find the advantage in the second, scoring two more goals by Bell’s second of the game and Jesse Todd’s first but Stony Plain kept the game within reach after Burke Gallimore found the back of the net.
It would be all Lacombe in the third, however, after Brett Robertson, Colin Valourt and Devin Ganner all found a way to score, leading to the final score of 7-3.
The Generals now look to wrap up the series at home on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex.