Wolverine’s goalie Lochlan Gordon gives phenomenal performance against AJHL division rival

The Whitecourt Wolverines welcomed the Spruce Grove Saints to the Scott Safety Centre for their first home game of the new year on Friday night. With a few players still watching from the sidelines due to injury, goalie Lochlan Gordon laced up his skates to play as the starting goalie. Little did he know, he was in for quite the ride.

In the first period, both teams pushed back and forth. One team would fly into the opposing zone only to turn around on their heels as the other team did the same, making them back up the ice. The period went by quickly, with very few stoppages in play.

At the 13:43 mark of the period, the Spruce Grove Saints caught a hooking penalty, putting the Wolverines on the powerplay for the first man-advantage of the evening. With only eighteen seconds left in the two-minute powerplay, the Whitecourt Wolverines struck pay dirt. Cooper Smyl got his team up on the board with a beauty shot, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Aiden Long and Caleb MacDonald.

In the second period, the Spruce Grove Saints skimmed one past, Gordon just over six minutes into the frame, tying things up 1-1. At this point, the game started to get more active with big hits and a few minor skirmishes following a whistle blast, though nothing extended past some pushing. Multiple penalties were called through the second, two against the Wolverines and three against the Saints.

Wolverine Jonah Bevington took a high-sticking penalty at 7:11 and sat for two. Just over a minute later, another Wolverine pushed a Saint player into the Wolverine’s goalie, but the ref missed the push, catching just the interference. The home team got away with one big time there, ending up on the powerplay. Cooper Smyl was the next Wolverine to hit the sin bin after being called for holding. At the 17:40 mark, with the teams still tied up, Wolverines Colby MacDonald snapped off an unassisted goal, breaking the tie. The period ended 2-1 for the Wolverines.

In the third, like clockwork, the Spruce Grove Saints quickly tied things up, 2-2. The top two teams in the AJHL North had traded goals since the start, but the Wolverines had always managed to get the lead back, albeit temporarily. With less than four minutes in the game, the Wolverines again managed to get the lead thanks to a go-ahead goal from Jack Franklin, assisted by Caleb Macdonald, his third point of the game, making it 3-2. With two minutes left, the Saints kept the pattern alive and tied things up. Fans in the Scott Safety Centre couldn’t believe it. The teams were off to overtime!

An edge-of-your-seat overtime period followed, which included a Wolverine powerplay. Both teams stayed in it with the Wolverine’s goalie standing on his head. The teams were still tied up at the final whistle blast, 3-3. Fans were in for a treat as the Wolverines and Saints prepped for a shoutout. Colby Browne and Cooper Smyl were up for the Wolverines, and both riffled their shots past the Saint’s netminder. The Saint’s shooters could not beat Gordon. The hometown fans went wild!

The Wolverine netminder saw 42 shots in the game and saved 39. A phenomenal effort. Gordon’s antics to keep the puck out of the net had fans cheering loudly. Unsurprisingly, he was named the Wolverine’s Star of the Game. The final score from the Scott Safety Centre was 4-3 for the Wolverines. In the AJHL North, as of Friday, January 6, the Wolverines remain in second place with 51 points. The Spruce Grove Saints are in first place with 63. In the league, the Wolverines are third. The Whitecourt Wolverines have two games in hand on the Saints.

The next home game is on Friday, January 13, against the Blackfalds Bulldogs. The next night, on Saturday, January 14, the Wolverines will take on the Calgary Canucks for Superhero Night! Hometown fans who dress up as their favourite hero will get in the door for only $5. The Wolverines have bright yellow hero-inspired jerseys for the game and will auction them off afterwards. All proceeds will go to Defeat Duchenne Canada, which raises money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD primarily affects boys, progresses quickly, and is the most fatal dystrophy in children. Defeat Duchenne Canada raises money to create resources that help raise awareness and bring hope and courage to families affected by DMD.