(Photo: Teams line-up during the 2015 Western Canada Cup opening ceremonies on April 25th, 2015. Bradley Karp / REPORTER)
It was an opening that no one saw coming.
The first day of the Western Canada Cup saw the Penticton Vees skate around the Spruce Grove Saints for sixty minutes on their way to an 11-3 win over the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) champions.
The Oil Barons, who haven’t played in fourty plus days gave the Portage Terriers club its first loss since a 5-1 defeat to Steinbach on Feb. 20, 2015.
Yes, the exact same Oil Barons squad that was knocked off by the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the first round of the AJHL playoffs took the RBC Cup hosts and MJHL Champions by a 3-1 score.
Tournaments are fun aren’t they?
After a first period that saw the Portage Terriers get not much further than the center ice line the Fort McMurray Oil Barons would strike first on a power play thanks to Landon Welykoholowa.
The Terriers tied things up minutes later with a man advantage marker of their own from Landon Peel.
Although it was Isaac Ceh, with a 19th birthday to remember who would score the winner. Ceh, however does owe credit to Zach McNeill, who shook off a big hit to make a play and feed the newly minted 19-year-old in front of the Terriers net.
His marker at 4:28 of the third would give the MOB the lead for good.
Trent Lofthouse added an empty netter in the dying moments, just after one of the best defensive shifts the Barons have had this season.
Head Coach Curtis Hunt has said throughout the year that he’s got two teams, his ‘A’ team, and his ‘B’ team, tonight the ‘A’ team showed up and it was a treat.
Zach Fortin was excellent, shoving aside 28 of twenty-nine shots thrown his way.
The Vees pounced on the Saints early, and often, and then again.
Two goals in the first minute by Riley Alfred, and Connor Chartier started what was a five goal period for the British Columbia Hockey League champions.
Penticton put in another four in the second and two more in the third, although Spruce Grove tallied all three of its goals in the third frame.
Tyson Jost was lights out for the Vees, he’ll be fun to watch throughout the tournament.
As will the rest of the team, Penticton is quick and they generate a lot of offense from the back end leading to odd –man rushes.
Spruce Grove will look to forget the first two periods and move on from the third period of the match forward where they took it to Penticton.
A tough start for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions, they looked tentative in the first and had a hard time breaking down the Oil Barons defence, although when they did Fortin shut the door.
Tomorrow will the Terriers take on the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, while the Oil Barons take on the Vees.
Tomorrow’s schedule:
April 26th, 2015
2:30 p.m. – Portage Terriers (MJHL) vs Melfort Mustangs (SJHL)
7:30 p.m. – Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) vs Penticton Vees (BCHL)
We’ll carry the Oil Barons game live on Rock 97.9, pre-game show begins at 7:15 p.m.
Today’s Results:
April 25th, 2015
Penticton Vees 11 – Spruce Grove Saints 3
Fort McMurray Oil Barons 3 – Portage Terriers 1
Standings:
April 25th
- Penticton Vees 1-0 (2 pts)
- Fort McMurray Oil Barons 1-0 (2 pts)
- Melfort Mustangs 0-0 (2 pts)
- Portage Terriers 0-1 (2 pts)
- Spruce Grove Saints 0-1 (2 pts)
