Five points separated the Morinville Jets and St. Albert Merchants before tonight’s games in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
The Jets (11-4-4) and Beverly Warriors (13-5) share first place when the west division teams face-off at 8 p.m. at Clareview Arena.
The Merchants (10-7-1) are ranked fourth in the standings when they skate against the Stony Plain Flyers (8-7-3) at 8:30 p.m. at Glenn Hall Centennial Arena.
The Jets and Merchants resumed their rivalry Saturday at Ray McDonald Sports Centre and Dean Jones scored the 6-5 overtime winner for the hometown Jets.
It was the second goal of the night and fifth of the season for Jones, who also assisted on Lee Gadoury’s power-play marker at 15:51 of the third to make it 5-4 Jets.
Ryan Cooper pulled the Merchants even at 17:19.
Period scores were 2-1 Merchants after the first, 4-3 Jets entering the third.
Tyler Mork, Brenden Passek, Tomas Rotundo (shorthanded) and Matt Havens (power play) tallied for the Merchants.
Alex Michalcheon, Jason Morgan and Dylan Stang also scored for the Jets and Jorden Rooke and Riley Van Brabant added two assists apiece.
Shots were 42-22 for the Jets.
The netminders were Colton Kucher (6-4, 3.23 GAA) of the Jets and Ethan Crotty (3-4, 4.84 GAA) of the Merchants.
The teams combined for 92 penalty minutes and 20 infractions, including a pair of fights: Tyler Hagel of the Jets versus Liam Mowatt of the Merchants in the second and Scott Woloshyn of the Jets versus Mork in the third.
The win was the second in a row and seventh in nine games for the Jets.
The Merchants are 2-2-1 in their last five games.
Previous results between the teams were 7-6 Merchants in a shootout Sept. 30 in St. Albert and 8-1 Jets on Nov. 6 in Morinville.
Friday the Merchants host the Founders Cup league playoff champion North Edmonton Red Wings (12-5-1) at Akinsdale Arena and Sunday’s game is against the Edmonton Mustangs (6-14) at Bill Hunter Arena. Start times are 8 p.m.
Sunday the Jets play the Flyers at 6:45 p.m. at Morinville.
In the league scoring race, Hagel leads in goals with 24 and is third in points with 41 in 17 games. Havens is second in assists with 21 and sixth in points with 33 in 18 games.
Zane Avery potted a pair Sunday as the St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders ended a three-game winless stretch in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
Owen Churko, Eddie Gallagher and Aidan Steinke also scored in the 5-2 decision against the Calgary Flames at Akinsdale Arena.
Chris Curr (4-7, 3.20 GAA) of the Raiders stopped 30 shots.
The Raiders (5-10-1) are tied for sixth in the north division and the Flames (9-6-1) are fifth in the south standings.
The day before the Raiders lost 4-2 to the Red Deer Chiefs in St. Albert.
The Chiefs (7-3-6), ranked fourth in the south, scored their first three goals on the power play.
Gallagher and Steinke replied for the Raiders.
Mitchell Reidy (1-3-1, 3.86 GAA) faced a game-high 34 shots.
The Raiders are 3-5 on home ice.
Saturday the Raiders visit the Lloydminster Bobcats (4-10-1) at 4:15 p.m. and Sunday they host the KC Pats (4-10-1) at 1:15 p.m.
Evan Fradette recorded his third shutout of the season and the sixth for the undefeated St. Albert Flyers in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League.
Fradette finished Sunday’s 4-0 victory over the Lloydminster Rage (1-12-1) with 33 saves.
The netminding tandem of Fradette (6-0, 0.83 GAA) and Ryley Osland (7-0, 0.86 GAA) share the league lead in shutouts as the top two netminders while combining for only 11 goals-against for the midget 15 Flyers (13-0).
Justin MacDonald, Tyler Pitre, Tanner Fincaryk and Cam Aucoin (empty net) scored in the Border City.
Blake Sydlowski picked up an assist for his 15th of the season and 29th point in 13 games. He is tied for second in league scoring.
The Flyers skate at Akinsdale Arena this weekend against the Leduc Oil Kings (8-4) at 4:15 p.m. Saturday and the Rage at 3:45 p.m. Sunday.
On tap Tuesday for the Flyers is their annual floor hockey game against the St. Albert Warriors at 6:30 p.m. at Sir George Simpson School.
The Flyers will roll out the red carpet for the Warriors, a Special Olympics’ floor hockey team, as their special guests at the Dec. 6 game against the Maple Leafs (1-11-2) at 8:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
St. Albert teams sport winning records in their respective divisions in the Alberta Female Hockey League.
The midget AAA Slash (12-0, 41 GF/13 GA) are first overall, the midget elite Sharks (6-5, 28 GF/31 GA) are second in the north standings and the bantam elite Raiders (6-2, 18 GF/11 GA) are third in the north.
The Slash are led by Madison Willan’s nine goals and 18 points and Cassidy Maplethorpe’s 10 goals and 17 points.
Willan and Maplethorpe are second and third, respectively in league scoring.
Brianna Sank (7-0, 0.85 GAA, three shutouts) and Camryn Drever (5-0, 1.40 GAA, one shutout) are among the league’s top netminders.
The next game is Saturday versus the Lloydminster Steelers (8-5-1) at 1 p.m. at the Border City.
Payden Bialowas and Aidan Soltis of the Sharks are ranked first and second in league scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Bialowas is also first in assists with nine.
Up next is Calgary Fire Red (6-3) Dec. 3 at 4:45 p.m. at Henry Viney Arena.
Libby Langenhahn’s team-high eight points for the Raiders consists of eight goals in eight games for a share of the league lead.
Elle Boyko (4-1, 1.26 GAA, one shutout) and Holly Borrett (2-1, 1.58 GAA) anchor the defence.
The Raiders, winners of four in a row, are back on the ice Dec. 3 against the Rocky Mountain Raiders (3-6-1) at 6:30 p.m. at Okotoks.
The fourth win in five games for the Morinville Kings this month in the North Central Senior Hockey League was posted Saturday in Edson.
Thomas Brennan capitalized twice on the power play, Luc VanDale scored during the man advantage and on the penalty kill and Dalen Paul tallied a shortie and added an empty-net goal in the 8-6 result against the Ice (4-6).
Ashton Pietersma and Jordan Pelletier notched singles.
Pelletier, Keagan Arcand, Jamie Johnson, Travis Duperron and Cole Cavell collected two assists apiece.
Shots were 50-46 for the Ice and Ty Clelland (2-1, 6.00 GAA) was between the pipes.
The Kings were coming off Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Daysland Northstars, the defending senior AA provincial champions, at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
It was 2-0 Daysland when Cavell connected on the power play at 13:29 of the middle frame for his team-leading seventh goal.
Daysland sniped the insurance marker with the man advantage 50 seconds into the third.
The Kings were outshot 42-23 and Ty Swabb (5-2, 3.70 GAA) was in net.
Daysland (6-1-2) and the Kings (7-3) are tied for third place in the 10-team standings.
The next home game is Saturday against the Slave Lake Winterhawks (1-9) at 8:30 p.m.
