Ethan Maertens-Poole posted the St. Albert Merchants’ third shutout during the junior B team’s eight-game winning streak in Sunday’s 2-0 decision against the Beaumont Chiefs.
Maertens-Poole (6-3, 2.95 GAA) stopped 14 shots for his first shutout of the season and Andrew Clark and Mike Roeleveld scored for the first-place Merchants (21-5) at Akinsdale Arena.
Roeleveld’s goal was his seventh in six games and team-leading 18th for 34 points in 25 games.
The Chiefs (6-16-4) were 0-for-7 on the power play.
Friday, the Merchants edged the Morinville Jets 4-3 in a penalty-filled affair in St. Albert. The bitter rivals combined for 23 infractions for 154 minutes. The Merchants, the most penalized team in league play with a whopping 1,003 PIM, were assessed 88 PIM.
Both teams struck twice on the power play. Shots overall were 37-21 for the Merchants, including a 21-1 margin in the second period. The only goal in the middle frame was by Merchants’ captain Dan Rombough with the man advantage to break a 2-2 tie.
Zach Gonek and Mitch McNamara tallied in the first and Casey Reid made it 4-2 on the power play in the third.
Jets’ captain Jorden Rooke opened the scoring and Brandon Dubuc potted a pair with the man advantage for a three-point night.
Merchants goalie Ty Clelland (14-1, 2.75 GAA) picked up one assist and Mike Brown (10-6, 3.63 GAA) was in net for the Jets (15-8-1).
This weekend, the Merchants visit the Stony Plain Flyers (16-10) Friday at 8:30 p.m. and the Jets play twice: 7:30 p.m. Friday against the host Spruce Grove Regals (6-16-2) and 6:45 p.m. Sunday against the Sherwood Park Knights (12-12-2) at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The St. Albert Raiders are undefeated in 12 games after doubling the Calgary Royals 6-3 Saturday at Akinsdale Arena.
The first of two goals in the third period by Ryan Peckford, a power-play tally with 8:15 to play, snapped a 3-3 stalemate. He also assisted on Luigi Naccarato’s insurance marker with 4:54 to go.
Kole Bryks, captain Brendan Kallis and Colin Schmidt also scored and Cam Mazur and Cam Lockard added two assists apiece.
Shots were 36-19 for the home team as Josh Dechaine (9-2-5, 2.98 GAA) backstopped the Raiders to their fifth straight win and ninth in 12 games.
Saturday, the Raiders are in Leduc to play the Oil Kings (8-11-4) at 2:15 p.m. and Sunday they host the Calgary Flames (9-7-7) at 1:15 p.m. The Raiders are 6-3-3 on home ice.
The Morinville Kings have two big games on tap this weekend in the North Central Hockey League.
Saturday, the 2014 Hockey Alberta senior A champions face-off against the first-place Westlock Warriors (10-1) at 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
Sunday, the Kings play two-time defending NCHL champion Devon Barons at 2:30 p.m. in Thorsby.
The Kings (9-3) are three points back of Westlock and one point ahead of the third-place Barons after losing 7-4 to the last-place Rocky Rams (2-9) last weekend in Rocky Mountain House.
After this weekend, the Kings have four games remaining in league play.
