The Saints came into tonight’s contest tied for first place in the AJHL North Division after winning four games in a row, most recently defeating the Olds Grizzlys 7-4. Zac Onyskiw was named the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week after his first AJHL shutout and posting a 2-0 record throughout last week, beating the Drayton Valley Thunder and Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Brett Pfoh would open the scoring for the Saints in this one, scoring an unassisted goal just under 2 minutes into the game. Nik Hoogendoorn would then score for the Bobcats late in the period to tie the game 1-1. Both teams would trade odd man chances while also holding off each others power play units. The Saints would dominate the chances in the period, outshooting the Bobcats 17-10 after 20 minutes of play.
The Saints would again open the scoring in the 2nd period as Hunter Brown would score on a power play opportunity, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. The Saints would continue to dominate in scoring chances, but would only find themselves up by one goal after 2 periods of play. The Saints would also continue to lead in shots, for a two-period total of 36-15.
Spruce Grove would look to keep their lead and maybe even add to it in the final frame. They would do just that, as Luigi Benincasa would pounce on a rebound to extend the Saints lead to 3-1. Jayden Davis would also lengthen the lead after a scramble in front of the net. The Saints would not be done, as Hunter Brown would get his second goal of the game, bringing the Saints lead to 5-1. Jayden Davis would also contribute to the offensive explosion in the period, scoring from the top of the circle with a seeing eye shot for his second of the night.
The Saints would go on to win 6-1 after holding off a late Bobcats push to try and get back into the game. The Saints would dominate on the shot clock, firing a whopping 60 shots and holding the Bobcats to 27.
The Saints have now won five games in a row and have taken sole possession of first place in the AJHL North Division. Spruce Grove is back on home ice this Saturday night when they host the Drayton Valley Thunder in the first feature game of the season. It’s Halloween night at the Grant Fuhr Arena, with kids under 17 dressed up getting in for free with a parent, trick or treating going on throughout the barn, a costume contest, and live music from Stony Plain’s own Steve Newsome! It is going to be a great night of hockey! Secure your tickets now, by heading to tickets.sprucegrovesaints.ca.