St. Albert’s Men of Steel returned home from three games in three days with a pair of road wins in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
After losing 6-3 Friday to the Okotoks Oilers, the Steel rallied to edge the Canmore Eagles 4-3 in overtime Saturday and then wrapped up the weekend with a decisive 6-2 victory over the Calgary Canucks.
Reed Linaker led all Steel scorers with six assists and seven points. The third-year Steel centre is the AJHL’s top point producer with 12 in six games.
Spencer Pommells also racked up six points and Taylor Fraser added five, including the OT winner in Canmore. His five goals rank among the league leaders.
In Okotoks the Steel gave up two goals on four shots to start the game. The second goal came on the power play at the 2:29 mark against Sean Reilly. He was replaced by Rhys Hadfield, who finished the loss with 30 saves on 34 shots.
It was 3-2 for Okotoks (3-1) after 40 minutes when the home team tallied twice before the three-minute mark to put the game away.
Fraser, Pommells and rookie Ryan Berlin netted goals and Linaker picked up three assists.
The next night against Canmore (0-3-0-2), the Steel battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the middle frame on goals by Tyler Park with 3:48 left in the period and Linaker’s game-tying marker with the goalie pulled with 28 seconds to play in the third.
In the opening period captain Mike Giese knotted the score at one apiece. Derek Bacon chipped in with two assists. Shots were even at 33 apiece. Hadfield recorded the win.
Sunday’s matinee in Calgary was a blowout as the Steel outscored the Canucks 4-1 in the first and led 5-1 after two periods. Pommells potted a pair and collected two assists. Steel rookie Jeremy Olinyk, Giese, Fraser and Bacon also connected. Linaker drew three assists. The Steel went 3-for-7 on the power play and Calgary was 1-for-10 with the man advantage. Hadfield (4-2, 3.01 GAA) turned aside 40 shots. In the third the Steel were outshot 17-3.
The next home game for the Steel is Saturday against the Olds Grizzlys (3-0) at 7 p.m. at Performance Arena. In a rare Monday night affair in Fort McMurray, the Steel play the Oil Barons (4-1).
The host team for the 2011 Esso Cup national female midget championship lost its league opener Saturday in Red Deer to the Chiefs.
Despite scoring on the first shift of the game — Eliza Snider from Lindsay Cox and Angie Mason at 22 seconds — the Slash trailed 3-1 after the first period en route to a 6-2 defeat.
Mason’s goal 54 seconds into the middle frame from Charity Price and Sabrina Flemming made it a one–goal affair. The Chiefs replied with a pair before the period ended. Sloppy defensive zone play resulted in the fourth goal and two shifts later a shorthanded breakaway effort sealed St. Albert’s fate.
In the third Red Deer outhustled the Slash for its sixth goal.
Emily Mitchell (five GA on 18 shots in 38:09 minutes) and Chloe Sanderson (one GA on six shots in 21:51 minutes) shared time in net.
Head coach Terry Sydor said the Slash are fast and skilled this season, but the team has a lot of work to do in their own end. He noted the Slash didn’t seem prepared for a much higher level of competition than what they encountered in the pre-season.
Tonight at 7:15 p.m. the Slash visit the Sherwood Park Fury.
St. Albert’s home opener in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League isn’t until Oct. 6 when they host the Spruce Grove Saints at 8:30 p.m. at Performance Arena.
The Esso Cup runs April 17 to 23 at Servus Credit Union Place.
The midget AAA St. Albert Raiders close out their pre-season schedule tonight against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The Raiders are 3-1 in exhibition play.
As of Monday, the Raiders were carrying four goalies, seven defencemen and 16 forwards. Three players were injured and four players were still at junior camps.
The team’s league opener is Oct. 2 against the Leduc Oil Kings at 2 p.m. at Akinsdale.
