The minor hockey regular season will soon grind to a halt for Ponoka’s teams, with several hoping for a better story in the playoffs.
The Fountain Tire midget Wolves didn’t do themselves any favours over the weekend, earning a 5-5 tie on home ice Feb. 10 against Battle River then losing 6-5 the next day in Athabasca.
Lewis McDowell with a hat trick with singles from Jayden Hagemann and Rylee deJonge in the tie, while on Saturday it was Cyrus Thompson and Tristan Johnson each scoring twice with Robert Wareham getting the other goal.
Meanwhile, the bantam Moose earned three wins in three days — beating Strathcona in Ardrossan 8-5 on Feb. 10 followed by a 6-2 win over Sturgeon in Legal on Feb. 11 then getting a 14-3 victory at home over Strathcona Feb. 12.
Eric Taylor’s hat trick then two each from Jake Simanton and Braeden Toporowski and one by Cyle Laing started off Ponoka’s weekend, while in Legal it was Mathias Sandin with a pair and singles from Erik Mathieu, Colter Bresee, Luke Bonnett and Simanton. On Sunday, Mathieu and Sandin each scored four times, Taylor with a pair and singles from Cole Fankanel, Bonnett, Simanton and Toporowski.
The Servus Credit Union bantams won both their home games, an 11-2 pounding of Wetaskiwin Feb. 10 then 7-3 over Devon the next day. In the lopsided victory, it was Ashton Bandet with four goals, two each from Austin Griffiths, Wyatt Wiancko and Cole Fankhanel plus one from Adam Hoag, while the scoring in other game came from Ethan Little with four and Bandet with a hat trick.
It was a weekend split at home for the peewee Elks, who beat Edson 9-3 on Feb. 11 then couldn’t quite catch Battle River the next day in a 7-6 loss. Josh David scored four times in the win while the Elks also got a pair from Braedan Brouilette and one each from Jake Palechek, Kael Street and Adam Hoag. Luke Simanton scored twice in the loss with the rest from Street, Hoag, Evan Kraft and Wyatt Avery.
In atom action, the McDonalds club got a 4-4 draw on home ice against Battle River on Feb. 11 with goals from Klan McLean, Carter Karwandy, Daylan Owen and Jestin Jacklin. Meanwhile, Vantage Physiotherapy played three times on the weekend. They were clobbered 11-2 in Bashaw on Feb. 10 and beaten at home 10-2 by Battle River the next day then won 9-2 in Drayton Valley on Feb. 12. Lennon Buffalo and Hudson Cutarm got Ponoka’s goal in the first loss, while Kevan Flewelling and Matias Czapp scored in the other loss. Czapp also scored seven times with a pair from Finn Nelson in the victory.
Provincials
Only the peewee Elks and bantam Moose remain on the road to the provincial championship, after the peewee Quality Paint and Collision squad were dumped 13-3 at home Feb. 9 by Winfield the midget Wolves fell 8-3 in Lacombe Feb. 7.
The Moose faceoff tomorrow night at home in Game 1 of their zone semifinal against Wetaskiwin (7:30 p.m.) while dates for the Elks versus Lacombe have yet to be announced.
Saddle up: It’s a light weekend of play at home with the bantam Moose versus Wetaskiwin Friday (8:30 p.m.) then hosting Sturgeon in Bashaw on Sunday (10:30 a.m.), while the Servus Credit Union bantam squad faces Leduc Friday (6:15 p.m.), the Fountain Tire midget Wolves take on Tofield Saturday (7:30 p.m.) followed on Sunday by the peewee Elks versus Leduc (10 a.m.) and the Lacoka midgets facing Leduc (2:30 p.m.).