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Shorthanded Midget club earns big win

Ponoka midget team gets a huge victory at home, all three Lacoka teams finally hit the ice in Ponoka
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Midget Wolves Jayden Hagemann goes after the puck as a Maskwacis defenceman attempts to clear it from in front of his goal as Ponoka's Quinton Adam lurks behind just in case it comes his way. Ponoka would eventually earn the 6-4 win.

It’s been a tough season so far for Ponoka’s midget hockey squad.

The Fountain Tire Midget Wolves have earned just a pair of victories and a tie in seven games this season under the new interlocking league format while having to deal with a pile of injuries that has left the team a little thin on the bench.

That last fact was evidenced in the club’s two home games over the weekend, a hard-fought 6-4 win Dec. 2 over Maskwacis followed by a 9-0 loss to Barrhead Dec. 3, as the Wolves iced just 12 skaters and a goalie.

Ponoka’s Quinton Adam put the home side on the board about seven minutes into the first, but saw Maskwacis grab the lead with three goals in a three minute span late in the period.

Lewis McDowell would bring the Wolves back in the second, scoring near the eight minute mark on a great shot from the slot to the top shelf and then tied it by banging home a rebound with just over two minutes remaining in the stanza.

Maskwacis would regain the lead early in the third, only to see Ponoka’s Jayden Hagemann score with just under four minutes gone.

McDowell’s hat trick goal with just 1:33 left would be the game winner, while an empty net goal by Cyrus Thompson with 17 seconds on the clock iced it.

In the other game, Barrhead was superior in every aspect and really wore down Ponoka by scoring twice in each of the first two periods then notching five in the third as the Wolves were dead tired.

Ponoka may get one or two players back for their lone game this coming weekend Dec. 11 in Vermilion but the team will continue to struggle as some with injuries will be out until at least the new year.

Lacoka in town

The Culture and Recreation Complex saw some female hockey action over the weekend, as all three Lacoka teams were in action.

The midget squad had a tough contest against Stettler that wound up coming down to the final seconds in a 2-1 loss. The game was scoreless until the midway mark of the third when Lacoka’s Paige Polson pounced on her own rebound to put the home side up.

However, Stettler continued to press hard and finally prevailed with a pair of goals by Hailey Adams. The tying goal came shorthanded with just under 1:30 to play followed by Adams putting home a rebound with just 27 seconds remaining, to hand the midget’s their first loss on the season.

Meanwhile, the Lacoka bantam club’s struggles continued with a 5-2 loss to Whitecourt on Dec. 4. Cassandra Klinger opened the scoring for the girls around the five minute mark of the first, while Hailey Hoogkamp got the other Lacoka goal.

The Lacoka peewee squad split a pair of games, getting shutout in Stettler 3-0 Dec. 2 and then doing the favour to 3Cs (Consort, Coronation, Castor) on Dec. 3 in Ponoka by a count of 5-0. Cassandra Grabo scored twice with the other goals coming from Chloe Wilton, Kenadee Pimm and Hailey Huchkowski.

This coming weekend, the Lacoka peewees are in Athabasca for a pair of games, while the bantams are in Lacombe to play Leduc Dec. 10 and the midgets host Leduc in Lacombe Dec. 10 then travel to play Endmoor the next day.

Other action: Also at home over the weekend were the Credit Union bantams who defeated Maskwacis 6-4 on Dec. 2, the Vantage Physiotherapy atom club edging out Daysland 9-7 on Dec. 3. As well, the McDonalds atom squad doubled up the other Daysland team 6-3 on Dec. 3 before falling 10-2 to Battle River in Killam Dec. 4. Meanwhile on the road, the peewee Elks beat Hinton 7-4. The Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex will be a busy place this weekend, as it plays host to the annual bantam tournament.