The St. Albert Steel can gain ground in the race for the last playoff spot in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s north division with a win tonight against the Grande Prairie Storm. Faceoff is 7 p.m. at Performance Arena.
The 3-13-2 Steel are seven points back of the seventh-place 6-9-3 Storm after beating the Lloydminster Bobcats 5-2 Wednesday in St. Albert. Attendance was 155.
The first home victory of the season also snapped a six-game losing streak for the last-place Steel.
Captain Taylor Fraser led by example with two goals in the first period.
Fraser also assisted on newcomer Craig Dworshak’s goal to make it 5-2 with 1:51 remaining in regulation time. It was Dworshak’s first game with the Steel after arriving from the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for rookie Travis Geislinger and future considerations. Dworshak is an 18-year-old forward who scored five goals in 47 games last season with the Drayton Valley Thunder.
After a scoreless second frame the Bobcats struck twice to pull even at 2-2.
Stefan Meunier potted the game winner with 2:22 to play.
Ryan Berlin’s four-point night against the 11-5-2 Bobcats included an empty net goal.
Ty Swabb recorded his first win in net as the Steel were outshot 35-21.
Off the ice, the Steel shipped 20-year-old defenceman Dane Olsen to the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL for Jake Rawlins, a 19-year-old defenceman from St. Albert who was pointless in nine games with Humboldt after going 1-4-5 in 44 games last season.
The St. Albert Raiders wrap up their four-game homestand this weekend at Akinsdale Arena.
The north division leaders host the 2-3-3 Lethbridge Pronghorns tonight at 8 p.m. and the winless Grande Prairie Storm Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
The Raiders are 3-0 on home ice and 7-0-1 overall in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
Monday’s volleyball doubleheader at Paul Kane High School between the Blues and the visiting Sturgeon Spirits mark the last league games before the playoffs in the metro Edmonton premier conference.
The girls play at 4:45 p.m. and the boys swing into action at 6:15 p.m.
A win by the 9-1 lady Blues would clinch first place in the premier standings. The defending champions knocked off the undefeated Bev Facey Falcons in a monumental 19-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20, 17-15 comeback victory Wednesday in Sherwood Park. The Blues almost blew it after leading the fifth set 11-4.
Meanwhile, the Paul Kane boys dropped a 3-1 decision to the 9-0 Falcons on the road Wednesday. The Blues are 4-4 in premier.
