Back-and-forth matchup between Wolverines and Crusaders on Remembrance Day

The Whitecourt Wolverines played a home game on Remembrance Day last week, welcoming the Sherwood Park Crusaders to the Scott Safety Centre. Ahead of the puck drop, the Whitecourt Wolverines invited Captain Ken Westling of the 721 Hawks Whitecourt Air Cadets squadron to read In Flanders Fields to the crowd. The 435 fans in attendance stood for the reading.

In the first period, the Crusaders potted one in first, scoring on the powerplay eight and a half minutes into the frame. Just over five minutes later, on the powerplay following a cross-checking penalty to the Crusaders, the Whitecourt Wolverines tied things up, 1-1.

In the second period, just twelve seconds in, Cooper Smyl sliced in his second of the night, with assists from Caleb McDonald and Chase Broda, giving the Wolverines their first lead. Again, just over five minutes later, the Crusaders tied things up, 2-2. Three minutes and two seconds later, Chase Broda scored, collecting his third point of the game, assisted by Cooper Smyl and Aiden Long. The Wolverines were back in the lead. But, keeping with the back-and-forth type of play that had happened so far, the Crusaders battled back and managed to tie things up again with fifty-one seconds left in the period.

It all came down to the third. The period saw four penalties, including a game misconduct for Wolverine Jonah Bevington after he served a blow to the head to a Crusader, leaving the player down on the ice for some time, drawing fans to the glass. Seemingly as a nod to Remembrance Day, the game’s final goal was scored at the 1:11 mark of the third. The hero of the night was Cooper Smyl. He scored his hat-trick in style with a penalty shot, giving his team the lead, which they held onto for the win. Wolverines won 4-3.

The Wolverines had 29 shots on the net during the game. Carson Ironside was in the net for the Wolverines for all sixty minutes and saw 20 shots. There were ten penalties in total. The two stars of the game were Carmela Crandell for the Crusaders, who had three points, two assists and a goal, and Cooper Smyl for the Wolverines, who finished with an outstanding line-up, three goals and one assist.

There are four more home games this month at the Scott Safety Centre. The Wolverines take on the Camrose Kodiaks on Saturday, November 19. The last time Brooks and the Wolverines played, Brooks took the win 6-3. The Wolverines definitely will be hungry for a win. On Friday, November 25, the Wolverines welcome the Spruce Grove Saints to town. The evening match-up will be the first visit to the Scott Safety Centre for the Saints this season.

Towards the end of the month, the Wolverines have an afternoon match-up on Sunday, November 27, against the Lloydminster Bobcats, starting at 2:30 pm. The month’s final game will see the Grande Prairie Storm rumble into the community. This game will be the first match-up between the two rivals since September 2, the Wolverines’ first exhibition game at the start of the season. Fans will undoubtedly be eager to see how things have changed between the two teams since the pre-season.