The Airdrie Thunder Heritage Junior B hockey club took home two points after defeating the Coaldale Copperheads 6-4 at home Sept. 30.
The first period saw the Thunder get on the board first with a tally by Ryan Preston. The Copperheads didn’t back down answering back on the power play, then only moments later, potting another one past new Thunder netminder Adam Griffith.
A great play deep in the Coaldale zone saw Thunder forward Dylan Johnston grab his third goal of the season to tie up the game before the first intermission.
Coaldale took command of the scoreboard in the second frame, but the line of Travis Wallan, Andrew Bergmann and Kristian Petit, along with Thunder rookie Daniel Hounjet ensured the Thunder win in the third period.
“We got off to a not bad start, but we hit a rough patch in the first,” said Thunder head coach Art Krusel. “It’s still early in the year, we are still struggling to gel as a team… our defence has some lapses at times, and there were some offensive lapses.”
Krusel said Griffith, who started his first regular season game between the pipes, played well but looked nervous.
Krusel said Thunder veteran Bergmann, who scored the game-winner in the third is back playing with Petit and Wallan and is starting to hit his stride after spending some time in Manitoba trying out for Junior A hockey.
“He is a top line guy, he gets to enjoy some status on the team. At a Junior A level you are lucky to get pencilled in for a fourth-line assignment when they have no scouting on you. It’s really tough as a walk on,” said Krusel. “We are happy to have him back.”
The Thunder will face off against the Okotoks Bisons tonight at the Ron Ebbesen Arena at 8 p.m., and Krusel hopes to take home two points from the provincial hosting club.
“We will make sure the team is sound defensively, and that we are not (fooling) around with the puck,” said Krusel. “They got beat by High River earlier this year. They are beatable, they are a funny team that way. They are like a gang, they are either up or they are down. I have been playing against Okotoks for eight years now. I know how (they) coach. There won’t be any real surprises.”
The Thunder play three games this weekend, after the home game on Friday, they will play the Ponoka Stampeders in Ponoka Oct. 8, and the Banff Bears in Banff on Oct. 9.
