Round two, here we come

With regular-season action finished, the Whitecourt Wolverines turned to face the first contender of their post-season life; the Bonnyville Pontiacs. In the six games between the two rivals during the regular season, the Wolverines lost three, won two in regulation and picked up one overtime win meaning the teams pretty much split the record.

The first two games of their best of seven series saw the Wolverines in Bonnyville playing at the RJ Lalonde Arena. On Friday, March 4, the Wolverines came out of the dressing room with a serious kick, scoring three unanswered goals in the first and second periods from Smyl, Baker, and Vela. Bonnyville got themselves up on the board in the third, making the score 3-1. Less than three minutes later, the Wolverines responded with a fourth goal on the night, this time off the stick of Mahan. The final was 4-1.

The next night, the Whitecourt Wolverines hoped for more of the same, so they could keep building space between them and the Pontiacs as they pushed through the series. Wolverine Teydon Trembecky, #28, from Christiano Aiello, put the visitors on the board first, 1-0. In the second, the Wolverines continued to push, scoring again. This time it was from MacDonald. A few minutes later, the Pontiacs answered back on the powerplay, bringing themselves within one. In the third period, See, Mahan, and Aiello riffled pucks past the Pontiacs netminder, which outdid the two goals scored by Bonnyville. The final score was 5-3 Wolverines, who now had a 2-0 lead in the series.

Heading to Whitecourt for the next two games, Bonnyville had something to prove. On Tuesday, March 8, they entered the Scott Safety Centre with a chip on their shoulders and used it to power their plays. The first and second periods saw zero puck-in-net activity. The third, however, was when Bonnyville made their move, scoring two. The Wolverines failed to get past their defence and dropped game three 2-0.

The next night, March 9, Whitecourt knew they had to show their fans what they missed seeing in person in Bonnyville. They knew they had to win. In the first period, Travis Baker, assisted by Tyler Mahan and Alex Dominique, put the home squad on the board first, 1-0. In the second period, Tyler Mahan was in the right place at the right time to assist Vela on one goal and score one for himself, bringing the Wolverines up to 3-0.

In the final period, Mahan once again found himself with the lucky touch, zipping one past the netminder thanks to assists from Dominique and Bohan. Though the Bonnyville Pontiacs did manage to score twice in the frame, it wasn’t enough to quell the Wolverines. The home team won the game 4-2, taking their series lead to 3-1.

Back to Bonnyville, they go! On Friday, March 11, the Whitecourt Wolverines and Bonnyville Pontiacs were once again in the RJ Lalonde Arena. With three games already in the bag, the Wolverines had the chance to win the series that night. Knowing that, the Pontiacs came out screaming. They scored once in the second period and three times in the early part of the third before the Wolverines managed to finally get on the board. By the time Chase Broda scored on the powerplay, Whitecourt was in a 4-1 hole. The Wolverines quickly responded, scoring two more goals and getting themselves within one of tying things up. In the final minutes, they rolled the dice and pulled their goalie. Unfortunately, it didn’t end up panning out for them, as the Pontiacs scored the empty netter, making it 5-3.

Game six saw both teams back in Whitecourt at the Scott Safety Centre with the chance for the home team to win the series in front of their fans. Christiano Aiello, assisted by Travis Baker, struck first, giving the Wolverines a quick lead. In the second period, the Wolverines scored two more goals, Komzak and Bohan, making it 3-0. Towards the end of the period, Bonnyville riffled one in the Wolverines net, making it 3-1 after forty minutes.

The third and final frame saw back and forth action with several close calls at both ends. The Whitecourt Wolverines stood firm and protected their lead. As their last attempt to get back into it, the Pontiacs pulled their goalie and pushed deep into the Wolverines zone. A lucky bounce for Wolverine Thomas Vela led to him scoring an empty netter, solidifying the win for the home team. The Scott Safety Centre exploded with excitement as fans rose and cheered.

Next up for the Wolverines is the second round of the playoffs! As of this writing, their contender is not yet known. So, get ready, Wolverines fans. The boys have more hockey to play and will need you in the seats. Go, Wolverines, go!