The St. Albert Steel are stuck in last place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s north division after losing two out of three games on the road last weekend.
The second win of the season by the Steel was Friday’s 4-3 decision against the Canmore Eagles (2-10), the bottom team in the south division.
Game star Reed Linaker scored once and added three assists. Second-period power-play goals by Linaker and John Baird gave the Steel a 4-2 lead. Captain Taylor Fraser scored twice, once on a shorthanded effort. Jordan Abt had two helpers from the backend.
Canmore outshot the Steel 44-23. In net was Rhys Hadfield.
Saturday in Okotoks the Steel went 0-for-9 on the power play in the 4-2 loss to the Oilers (6-6). The line of Baird, Ryan Berlin and Jamie Johnson supplied the offence. Baird and Berlin scored in the first fame and Johnson assisted on both markers.
The teams combined for five goals in the first. Okotoks added the insurance tally on the power play early in the third.
Shots were 30-27 for Okotoks. Ty Swabb tended the twine.
The third game in three days was Sunday’s 6-2 loss against the Calgary Canucks (6-8). Stefan Meunier, with his first AJHL goal, and Johnson lit the lamp.
Calgary snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period and scored three times in the third. The shot count and goaltending stats were unavailable at press time.
The Steel returned home as the worst defensive team in the AJHL with a 4.62 GAA.
Baird and Linaker share top spot in the Steel’s scoring race with 13 points apiece. Baird’s team-high seven goals includes four on the power play.
Tonight the Steel are in Lloydminster to play the Bobcats (7-3-1) at 7:30 p.m.
The next home game is Saturday against the Calgary Mustangs (4-7-2) at 7 p.m. at Performance Arena.
The St. Albert Raiders improved to 3-0-1 in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League after posting a pair of 3-2 victories last weekend.
The Raiders knocked off the winless Grande Prairie Storm on the road Saturday and edged the CAC Gregg Distributors (1-3) Sunday at Bill Hunter Arena.
In the north division the Raiders are one point back of the undefeated Leduc Oil Kings, the host team for the Telus Cup national championship in April.
The Raiders are in Calgary this weekend for games against the Northstars (3-0-1) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Max Bell Arena and the Buffaloes (2-2) Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at Acadia Arena.
The St. Albert Merchants remain tied with the Morinville Jets on top of the west division standings after picking up a point in Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss against the Strathcona Bruins at Fultonvale Arena.
The Merchants and Jets have identical 5-1-1 records in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Bryce Schmode, Matt Bowles and Kyle Beddows scored against the Bruins and Justin Pawlenchuk was between the pipes. The Bruins (4-3) knotted the count at three apiece with six seconds left in regulation time.
The fifth win of the season by the Merchants was Friday’s 9-3 penalty-filled affair against the Stony Plain Flyers (0-7) in St. Albert. The teams combined for 173 penalty minutes, led by the Flyers’ 114 PIM. Several fights broke out in the third period.
Tyler Pennington and Nicolas Addessi fired two goals apiece. Jake Behiels, AJ Yariwon, Alex Hawirko, Zack Caines and Taylor Maat also scored. Behiels and Switner notched three assists apiece. In net was Curtis Ronaldson.
This weekend the Merchants host the Wetaskiwin Icemen (4-2) Friday and the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks (3-3-1) Sunday. Game times are 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The fourth win in five games by the St. Albert Sabres to start the season was Friday’s 4-2 decision against the KC Squires at Callingwood Arena.
Mark Matsuba, Joshua Mahura, Joshua Perrot and Myrko Vachon scored and Brendan Kallis helped set up two goals. Patrick Dea faced 39 KC shots.
The Sabres are 4-1 and KC is 3-3 in the nitro north division in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
The Sabres skate again Saturday against the Maple Leafs (0-7). Puck drop is 1:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The last home game for the Sabres was the come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Leduc (3-2) last Wednesday. Cam Mazur’s game winner with 10:43 to play capped off a four-goal outburst by the Sabres, highlighted by three unanswered markers in the third. Matteo Gennaro tallied twice in the period.
Brad Holmes and Curtis Peck also connected in the second. Ethan Lazaro drew two assists. Shots were 46-43 for the visitors. In net was Matt Murray.
