St. Albert Crude fans have had a lot to cheer about this week.
On Friday the team snapped a four game losing streak with an impressive 14-11 win over the Edmonton Warriors to retake the top of the Jr. B Tier 1 North standings.
The goals kept coming Saturday night when the Crude returned to their home arena for the first time in a month to absolutely demolish the Saskatoon SWAT 17-4.
The first period of the game was a wild one with a lot of back and forth action.
The SWAT put up three goals to the Crude’s four and at the first intermission it was still anyone’s game.
In the second period the relentless pressure of the Crude started to wear on the SWAT. The SWAT slowed down and picked up a few stick penalties to get back in position.
About halfway through the period something in the SWAT gave out. From 9:09 to 5:06 the Crude scored five unanswered goals, three of them by Simon Hansen.
The SWAT never recovered and the Crude never let up. By the time the third period was over the Crude had more than quadrupled the SWAT’s score.
Hansen finished the game with six goals.
Saturday’s game was a bit of payback for St. Albert. The Crude had won 11 straight before being handed their first lost of the season by the SWAT in mid June.
That loss spun the Crude into a four game losing spiral that cost them their place at the top of the standings.
When the Crude have faltered this season the Edmonton Warriors have stepped up. The Warriors are currently sitting at second in the league with 26 points to the Crude’s 27 points.
This Saturday at 6 p.m. the Crude will meet the Warriors at Akinsdale Arena.
If the Crude win they’ll be first in the standings and on pace to capture their second consecutive North Division title.
