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The St. Albert Merchants skated Friday against the Edmonton Mustangs with only two wins in their last five games in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
The score against the west division leaders (11-2) at Akinsdale Arena was unavailable at press time.
The fourth-place Merchants (7-5-2) were looking to get back on track after losing 6-5 in overtime to the second-place Beverly Warriors (9-3-2) Wednesday at Clareview Arena.
It was 3-1 Merchants after the first period and Beverly tied it up in the second. Krys Kraychy made it 4-3 at 5:57 in the third before Beverly tallied twice to regain the lead. All four Beverly goals in the last two periods were scored on the power play.
Matt Havens’ third goal of the night, a power-play effort, pulled the Merchants even with 5:19 left in regulation time. It was his team-leading 10th goal and 23rd point in 10 games.
The overtime winner was deposited with 15 seconds to go.
Mason Kenny’s goal halfway through the first put the Merchants on top 3-0.
Casey Reid finished with three helpers.
Shots were listed at 9-1 in OT and 50-32 overall for Beverly. Ryan Papirny (1-2, 3.24 GAA) was in net.
Wednesday the Merchants play the North Edmonton Red Wings (9-4-1), the 2015 Founders Cup and provincial champions and provincial silver medallists, at 8 p.m. at Londonderry Arena.
Meanwhile, the Merchants are hosting a pub night and silent auction fundraiser tonight at the Bourbon Room in Campbell Business Park. The auction is from 7 to 10 p.m. and live entertainment starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.
The St. Albert Blues doubled the St. Albert Crusaders 6-3 Wednesday at Go Auto Arena in the Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League.
The teams combined for six goals in the middle frame as the Blues skated into the third leading 4-2.
Sam Smith-Ackerl scored twice and Brett Mossing and Logan Hunter sniped singles for the Blues. Gavin Barter and Jackson Aucoin replied for the Crusaders.
Adrian Parth and Jack Lastwika lit the lamp for the Blues in the third and Baxter notched his second for the Crusaders.
Hunter, Daniel Lewis, Justin Roy and Bryce Strum chipped in with two assists apiece for the Blues.
Brandon Boughen of the Blues and Elliot Saive of the Crusaders stopped 24 shots apiece.
The Blues improved to 3-4-2 in the Investors Group division and the Crusaders are the top team in the Clean Harbors division at 6-2-1.
Sunday the Blues face-off against SSAC Lakewood Chevrolet (6-3) at 4 p.m. at Confederation Arena.
The Crusaders, the 2015 Fountain Tire Cup finalists, have games on tap tonight against the Leduc Roughnecks (3-3) at 8:30 p.m. at Mark Messier Arena and Sunday’s start time against the Maple Leafs (1-6-1) is 1:30 p.m. at Confederation Arena.
The St. Albert Slash are in action this afternoon against the Red Deer Chiefs in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.
Faceoff is 2:30 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
The Slash are 2-5-3 after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Edmonton Thunder and Red Deer, the 2015 Esso Cup national silver medallist as the host team, is 4-3-2.
The Slash are winless in three games after their second shutout loss in a row and the third in six games.
The Thunder (2-5-2), winners of seven consecutive league championships, scored in the first period and shots were 23-22 for the Slash at Terwillegar Community Rec Centre.
The first of three games in five days for the St. Albert Sabres in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League was played Friday against the Canadian Athletic Club in Edmonton.
The score was unavailable at press time.
The Sabres close out a stretch of seven away games Sunday against the Lloydminster Heat (6-4-2) and Tuesday against the Maple Leafs (0-10) at 8 p.m. at Castledowns Arena.
The Sabres were 8-2-2 after victories of 4-2 against the SSAC Southgate Lions (9-3) Monday and 5-2 against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (5-7-1) Tuesday.
Blake Sydlowski’s second goal against SSAC was the insurance marker on the power play with 6:08 to play at Millwoods Arena.
Kye Buchanan snapped a 2-2 tie early in the second. Dominik Cesarz also scored and Aidan West and Brady Nicholas had two assists apiece.
Shots were 30-25 for the Sabres and Evan Fradette (4-0-2, 2.05 GAA) was in net.
Stuart Dovey potted a pair and Sydlowski added two helpers in Fort Saskatchewan.
Michael Benning, Carson Henry and Buchanan also connected.
The shout count was 38-31 for the Sabres and Ryley Osland (4-2, 2.30 GAA) was between the pipes.
Sydlowski and Nicholas lead the Sabres in points with 16 apiece and share the team in goals with Cesarz at seven.
The next home game is Nov. 17 versus the CAC (4-5-1) at 7 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The St. Albert Flyers host the SSAC Bulldogs on Tuesday in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League.
Puck drop is 8:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The guests of honour are the St. Albert Warriors, a Special Olympics’ floor hockey team.
In the north division the Flyers were 5-3-2 before Friday’s match against the KC Centennials (5-3-3) at Castledowns Arena and SSAC was 6-0-2. The score against KC was unavailable at press time.
The Flyers are coming off a 4-3 loss to the first-place Sherwood Park Squires (9-0-1) Tuesday in St. Albert.
Cole Gupta, Cole Sadownyk and Eddie Gallagher scored in the team’s third loss in four games.
The Flyers were outshot 33-31 and Mitchell Reidy (2-2-1, 2.21 GAA) was in net.
Gupta leads the Flyers in scoring with seven goals and 12 points and Gallagher ranks second in points with 10 with a team-high seven assists.
