Junior B Merchants
The Merchants won big and lost big during the opening weekend of the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Scores were 9-2 against the Edmonton Mustangs and the 8-3 loss to the Beverly Warriors.
Ryan Cooper and Stuart Dovey led the attack against the Mustangs with two goals apiece. Cooper also picked up three assists.
Jack Langenhahn, Scott Lancaster, Cole Gupta, Marco Runco and Ryan Deets notched singles.
Gupta, Aiden West, Josh Antunes, and Peter Corrigan collected two assists apiece.
Period scores were 2-0 and 5-1.
Both teams struck twice on the power play.
According to the gamesheet, shots were 71 to 40 as Josh Dechaine backstopped the Merchants to victory in Friday’s home opener at Jarome Iginla Arena.
Grant Spinner was between the pipes against Beverly and two of the goals against were scored on the power play Sunday at Clareview Arena.
Spinner finished the loss with 41 saves while the Merchants were credited with 20 shots on goal.
The defending CJHL champions turned a 2-1 deficit in the first period into a 7-3 lead early in the third.
Ryan Cooper and Ryan Deets capitalized on the power play in the first and Cooper also scored in the third
Dovey added two assists as the Merchants suffered their seventh-straight setback to Beverly in league and playoff action dating back to December of the 2018/19 regular season.
Friday the Merchants host the rival Morinville Jets at 8 p.m.
Slash marks
The St. Albert Slash wrapped up the Alberta Female Hockey League preseason with Saturday's 2-0 victory over the host Red Deer Chiefs.
Kamea Brezovski and Alli Reich scored while Holly Borrett and Mable Maltais shared the shutout.
The result left the Slash with a 4-0 record in exhibition action and at the recent Calgary Firestarter Tournament finished 2-2-1.
The winners of three consecutive Esso Cup midget AAA national championships start league play Oct. 4 against the Lloydminster Steelers at 7 p.m. at Landrex Arena in Morinville.
The first home game is Oct. 6 against the Rocky Mountain Raiders at 1:30 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
Junior B Jets
The Morinville Jets face-off against the North Edmonton Red Wings tonight in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Puck drop is 8 p.m. at Londonderry Arena.
Friday the Jets visit the St. Albert Merchants at 8 p.m. at Jarome Iginla Arena and Sunday’s home game against the Stony Plain Flyers starts at 7:30 p.m. at Landrex Arena.
The Jets are coming off Friday’s 7-3 loss to the CJHL champion Beverley Warriors in Morinville.
Beverly was 3-for-4 on the power play while the Jets were unable to score on three man advantage opportunities.
It was 5-0 Beverly when Josh Mcrae lit the lamp halfway through the third period.
Zach Mcrae and Dillon Watt also potted goals in the team’s season debut. Watt ended the night with three points.
Shots were 59-29 for Beverly as netminder Luke Hall went the distance for the Jets.
Flyers at home
The St. Albert Flyers have home-ice advantage this weekend in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League.
The regular season gets underway Saturday against the Grande Peace Storm at 7:45 p.m. at Go Auto Arena and Sunday’s game time is 7:30 p.m. against the PAC Saints at Jarome Iginla Arena.
The Flyers finished the John Ferguson Preseason Tournament with wins of 7-0 against the Maple Leafs on Sunday and 8-0 against CAC United Cycle on Monday while going 2-3 overall in exhibition action.
Sabres results
The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres started off the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League regular season with a weekend split.
Carmelo Crandell’s natural hat-trick in the second period – power play, even strength and shorthanded goals – accounted for all the team’s scoring in Friday’s 7-3 loss to the KC Squires at Callingwood Twin Arenas.
The Squires broke the game open with four unanswered goals in the third, including a power-play tally and empty-netter, while out-shooting the Sabres 17-8 in the period and 37-27 overall.
Luke Roberts, a returning Sabre along with Crandell and Ashton Hutchinson as forwards and Ben Belyea on defence, drew the start in net.
Saturday’s home opener was the 7-5 win against the SSAC Lions as the Sabres posted period leads of 3-1 and 6-3 at Go Auto Arena.
Hutchinson, Crandell, Johnny Ballos (power play), Evan Zazylak, Ben Constantino, Hayden Selin and Tyden Redlick scored.
Adam Chin stopped 34 shots while the Sabres directed 33 at a pair of SSAC netminders.
Sunday the Sabres host the PAC Saints at 5 p.m. at Jarome Iginla Arena.
