Raiders at home
The St. Albert Nektar Raiders host the Southside Athletic Club tonight in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.Puck drop is 7:45 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The last league game for the Raiders before the 41st annual Mac’s Midget AAA World Invitational Tournament is also the team’s annual Christmas charity drive initiative. Fans are asked to bring new toys or items for the St. Albert Food Bank and collection boxes will be located in the rink lobby.
The Mac’s starts Boxing Day in Calgary and last year’s appearance was the first for the Raiders since 2012-13. The tournament ended with the 1-0 semifinal loss as the Red Deer Chiefs scored in the third period.
The Raiders also have an exhibition on tap Friday against the U16 provincial Canada Winter Games team at 2 p.m. at the Centrium in Red Deer.
The Raiders are 4-1 in December after victories last weekend of 5-2 against the Maple Leafs (0-23-1) at Bill Hunter Arena and 4-2 against the Lloydminster Bobcats (5-14-4) in the Border City.
The Raiders outscored the Maple leafs 4-1 in the third period during a 17-9 shot advantage. Two of the goals were power-play markers by Eric Perneel and Mathew Rathbone in the penalty-filled affair.
Kye Buchanan and Jaxon Dube also scored in the third and Tyson Greenway opened the scoring in the second.
Robert Kincaid and Ethan Whillans picked up two assists apiece.
Evan Fradette (4-4-1, 2.29 GAA) faced 20 shots by the Maple Leafs and Ethan Barwick, who started the season with the Raiders, stopped 46 shots.
Perneel, Buchanan, Brad Adams and Brady Nicholas did the damage against the Bobcats. Tanner Sklaruk also added two helpers.
Shots were 51-33 for the Raiders and Andreai Proctor-Ramirez (6-3-3, 2.82 GAA) was in net.
Last week in the Alberta Junior Hockey league, Proctor Ramirez recorded his first win as a call-up for the Spruce Grove Saints and was named the second star with 27 saves in the 2-1 decision over the host Drayton Valley Thunder and Kincaid played in his second AJHL game with the Camrose Kodiaks in the 3-2 shootout loss to the visiting Okotoks Oilers.
Junior B action
The St. Albert Merchants and Morinville Jets have one game remaining before the Capital Junior B Hockey League shuts down for the holidays.Friday the Merchants (9-11-4) host the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks (12-14) at 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena and Saturday the Jets (14-9-1) are in Wetaskiwin for a 6 p.m. tilt with the Icemen (14-6-2), winners of back-to-back CJHL championships.
The Merchants are 2-2-1 in the last five games after Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Beverly Warriors (19-7) at Clareview Arena.
Beverly posted period leads of 2-1 and 5-2.
Jack Langenhahn opened the scoring on the power play, Cole Gupta pulled the Merchants to within 3-2 of Beverly in the second and Matt Holzer’s power-play marker halfway through the third made it 5-3. Bryce Sturm finished with two assists.
Shots were 54-33 for Beverley and Colton Iwaschuk (4-5, 4.01 GAA) was between the pipes.
The Jets, 4-1 in their last five games, closed out the last game of 2018 at Ray McDonald Sports Centre with four unanswered goals on 10 shots in the last period to defeat the Hawks 6-4.
A pair by Brett Dubuc and singles by Lee Gadoury and Josh Mcrae did the damage as Connor Tuppala assisted on all four goals for five helpers on the night.
Gadoury in the first and Dubuc in the second also lit the lamp.
Dubuc’s four-point outing strengthened his first-place ranking in the CJHL scoring race with 32 goals and 56 points in 24 games.
The shot count was 41-23 for the Jets in support of Colton Kucher (10-7, 3.33 GAA).
Kucher also tended the twine with 38 saves in Friday’s 7-6 overtime decision against the Merchants in St. Albert.
Ryan Denton found the back of the net with an unassisted effort in the last minute of sudden death after Langenhahn tied it at six with 36 seconds left in regulation time.
In the last period, Tyler Sonnichsen on the power play, Zach Mcrae at even strength and Tuppala’s unassisted effort with the man advantage put the Jets up 6-4.
Peter Corrigan sparked the late-period comeback with 6:41 remaining.
Marco Runco (shorthanded) and Corrigan got the Merchants off to a fast start before Sonnichsen (power play) and Dubuc replied in the first. The period ended with Sturm’s team-high 18th goal to put the Merchants ahead 3-2.
Ryan Deets and Dubuc exchanged goals in the second.
Brandon Boughen (5-10, 4.44 GAA) of the Merchants was credited with 40 saves.
Sharks game
The midget elite St. Albert Sharks wrap up their December schedule in the Alberta Female Hockey League in Lloydminster.Friday’s faceoff is 7:15 p.m. against the Steelers (6-10).
The first loss for the Sharks (8-5) after three wins this month was 4-2 against the North Central Impact (4-11-1) last weekend in Leduc.
The Sharks led 2-1 after the first period on goals by Aidan Soltis and Marissa Steinke.
Laney Pasemko (3-2, 2.01 GAA) was tested 23 times as the Impact capitalized three times on the power play.
The Sharks are one point behind the third-place Peace Country Storm (8-4-1) in the north standings.
Sabres results
The last game before the Christmas break for the St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres is Saturday at Akinsdale Arena.Start time is 1:45 p.m. against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (13-3-3) in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
The Sabres (5-12-3) are 1-6-2 in St. Albert after losing three in a row last weekend by scores of 4-1 to the Sherwood Park Flyers (13-8), 4-3 to the Calgary Bisons (14-4-2) and 4-0 against the Calgary Flames (14-4-3).
The Sabres remain in the fourth and final playoff berth in the nitro north division with a two-point advantage over CAC Lehigh Cement (5-15-1) with a game in hand.
The top scorers for the Sabres are Liam Cochrane with seven goals and 21 points in 18 games and Zakk Makeiff’s 10 goals and 15 points in 20 games.
Next month the Sabres have three league games before the 41st annual John Reid Memorial Tournament, Jan. 17 to 20 at Servus Credit Union Place.
The AMBHL reps include the Lloydminster Bobcats (13-3-4), Red Deer Rebels (14-4-2), Rangers, Bisons, Flames and Sabres.
The Rink Hockey Academy Nationals of Winnipeg, Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask., Burnaby Winter Club Academy, Delta Hockey Academy Green, Yale Hockey Academy Lions of Abbotsford, B.C., St. George’s Saints of Vancouver, West Van Academy of Vancouver, Los Angeles Jr. Kings and Phoenix Jr. Coyotes are also competing.
In pool play the Sabres face off against Burnaby, Los Angeles and Yale.
Visit www.johnreidmemorial.com for more information.
