The Whitecourt Wolverines saw back-to-back wins against the Grande Prairie Storm last weekend, including their regular season home opener on Saturday night, Sept. 20.
Friday, Sept. 19, Whitecourt took out Grande Prairie 7-4 at the Bonnetts Energy Centre.
Wolverine Kyle Tucker started the action off at 9:21 and was assisted by Justus Chyld, season firsts for both players to make it 1-0.
The Storm’s Nicholas Morin then took a two minute trip to the box for holding at 18:07 and about a 30 seconds later, Ethan Short tallied a power play goal for a 2-0 Whitecourt lead, with support from Tyler Pretty and Jalen Bianchet.
Whitecourt’s Mason Russell started period two in the box for a slashing penalty from the first, giving Grande Prairie’s Ethan Kronewitt a chance to secure a power play goal. Just 0:17 in, he brought it to 2-1. Max Leduc and Colin Doherty assisted.
Jalen Bianchet scored his first goal of the season at 7:02, with the helpers going to Kyle Tucker and Tyler Pretty. Mason Russell followed that up with his first goal at 8:57, assisted by Ty Rayan, for a quick 4-1 Wolverines lead.
About 30 seconds later, Roghan Walker notched one more for the Storm. Max Fogle got the helper, making the score 4-2.
Then, Whitecourt’s Ty Rayan moved from the assist to the primary, scoring his first of the season at 16:52. Ethan Short and Mason Russell assisted in what became a 5-2 lead.
But Grande Prairie’s Chase Christensen pushed back with 45 seconds left in the frame for the teams to finish 5-3. Harry Minucci and Zachary Wilson assisted, their first of the season.
Christensen then shot his second goal of the season for Grande Prairie over 10 minutes into the third, this time unassisted, to narrow the gap to 5-4 Whitecourt.
Wolverines Russell and Bianchet, however, teamed up to fire back for an insurance goal at 16:48, bringing the score to 6-4. The Wolverines Tristan Slywka put the icing on the cake with an unassisted empty-netter at just over one minute left to play, cementing the 7-4 victory for Whitecourt.
The team followed that up with a 3-2 shootout win at home on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Despite a few powerplay opportunities, the first period was quiet until 13:12, when Justus Chyld, assisted by Braydon Franks, put Whitecourt up to a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines started strong in frame two, with Jalen Bianchet scoring his second goal of the season, unassisted less than a minute in. But the Storm pushed back and Ethan Kronewitt brought it to 2-1, still in Whitecourt’s favour. Max Leduc and Max Fogle got the helpers.
Then, Grande Prairie’s Zachary Wilson tied it up 2-2 with about two minutes left in the third. Will Harris and Connor Frost assisted.
The match went to a shootout, where Wolverine Quentin Bourne was the only one to score, securing the 3-2 victory.
The Whitecourt Wolverines are back on the ice at home on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
