Saints thrash Bobcats 10-5
By: Adam Kulak
Everyone who likes scoring, this was certainly the game for you. The Saints lit the lamp early and often as they put up 10 goals on the Lloydminster Bobcats and improve to 15-3-0 on the regular season. After a strong performance in a losing effort against the Brooks Bandits, Max Duchesne would get the start in goal tonight looking for his 4th win of the season. We would also see Luigi Benincasa make his AJHL debut as he would start this game on a line with Cam Mitchell and Colson Gengenbach.
First Period
The Saints came out against Lloydminster and immediately jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Bobcats got their first shot of the game. Just a minute into the game, Ryan Peckford would let a shot go from the top of the zone that had eyes, beating Josh Dias for the early lead. Shortly after, Loeden Schaufler would walk into a shot from the top of the circle for his 5th of the season.
Shortly after that, Ryan Peckford would get his 2nd of the period as he would rip a shot post and in off the rush. That would be Peckford?s 12th of the season as the Saints start to really pour it on. Not long after that, Cole Basnett would take a cross crease feed for a back-door finish, putting the Saints up by 4 just over 8 minutes into the game.
Lloydminster would get on the board as Ty Mosimann would surprise Max Duchesne with a quick spin and shoot making it 4-1. But the Saints would add one later in the period as Adam Hall would score on the Powerplay off a high slot redirect to close out the period. The shots were 16-5 for the Saints as they lead this game 5-1 after 20 minutes.
Second Period
The Saints continued to pour it on in the second period by adding another 4 on Lloydminster. 28 second into the period, Seth Fyten would bury the cross crease one timer from Tanner Klassen for his first of the night. 4 minutes in, Ryan Peckford would complete the hattrick as he cut in on a breakaway and beat Josh Dias to make it 7-3.
Lloydminster answered the first two Saints goals of the period, as Chance Adrian and Brendan Morrow would both get on the board for the Bobcats. However, the Saints just kept coming, Grahame Gamache would jump on a rebound in the crease making it 8-3 and he would later find Cole Basnett out front to make it 9-3 after 40 minutes.
The shots after 40 minutes are 33-18 for the Saints as they are firing on all cylinders in this game.
Third Period
The goal scoring slowed down in the third, but the amount of action remained the same. The Saints put up 19 shots in the final period and 51 overall. Lloydminster would add two more and Brett Trentham would get the Saints 10th goal late in the period as if there were any doubt about this one.
It was chaos on ice tonight as both teams including the Saints were fairly loose at times. Lot?s of odd man rushes and lots of prime scoring chances throughout the game. Those who came to this game certainly got their money?s worth. Not a coaches favourite game but plenty of entertainment value for the fans.
The Saints are back in action Friday and Saturday for a home and home with the Sherwood Park Crusaders. You can catch both games at 7:00pm on either Hockey TV or the Saints radio network.