Weekend double-header action split for the Whitecourt Wolverines

The Whitecourt Wolverines had a double-header at home over the weekend, bringing two
divisional rivals to JDA Place on Friday and Saturday night. The Olds Grizzlys crew was up first,
hitting the ice against the Wolverines at 7 pm on Friday, November 15. It was the first visit to
Whitecourt for the Grizzlys with ex-Wolverine Hunter Motley on the roster. Motley traded to Olds
at the beginning of October.
There were 446 fans in the audience for the game, a decrease from the previous three
matchups, but attendance could have been affected by the Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson fight,
which aired the same evening. However, there is a good chance fans at JDA Place saw more
action on the ice than the 60 million viewers saw in the ring.
Early on in the game, the intensity was up. There were big hits and extra pushes after whistles.
Fans could see that things were heating up quickly. Just over two minutes into the game, Ethan
Short sniped his eighth of the season behind the Olds goaltender, assisted by Marcello Giorgi
and Xavier Lacoste, giving his team an early lead. The assist for Lacoste was his team-leading
16th of the season. As of Saturday, November 16, Lacoste leads the north division in assists
and is second in the AJHL.
Just over halfway, Dwayne Jean Jr pocketed his sixth of the year, assisted by Reid Larson and
Tyler Rowland. The Wolverines had taken a lead in the first and kept the Grizzlys off the
scoreboard. The period saw two penalties, both to Olds. In the dying seconds of the period, ex-
Wolverines Hunter Motley took a stick up high in front of the referee, but there was no call.
Motley made his feelings known, hollering on his way to the bench.
The second period was quiet on the scoreboard and penalty sheet, but the activity on the ice
was anything but. Both teams bumped the intensity, pushing each other around after whistles
and getting up close and personal. Several scrums persisted at the Wolverine’s net following
good saves, but no calls.
Just over twelve minutes into the period, Jalen Bianchet scored his seventh goal of the year,
hammering the final nail into the Grizzly’s coffin. The Wolverines had a three-nothing lead and
weren’t letting it go. Through the third period, there was no scoring to speak of. The Wolverines
landed in the penalty box three times, but Olds couldn’t capitalize. The Wolverines took the

game 3-0.
The next night, the Wolverines welcomed the Fort McMurray Oil Barons to JDA Place for their
first meeting of the season. Fans knew they were going to be in for a great game. In the first
period, the Wolverines took two early penalties, a tripping penalty against Jalen Bianchet and a
hooking against Joey Vetrano. Thankfully, the Barons couldn’t capitalize on either chance. At
14:10, #90 Xavier Lacoste scored his second of the season, assisted by Bianchet, his twelfth.
Four minutes later, the Wolverines answered again. This time Ethan Short scored his ninth goal,
assisted by Jean Jr. The Wolverines quickly took a 2-0 lead.
Early in the second, the Oil Barons retaliated, scoring just 1:48 in. Roughly seven minutes later,
they scored another, tying things up. With players on edge, things got choppy. Wolverine Tyler
Rowland sat for two minutes for a delay of game penalty, while four Barons took turns sitting for

two minutes for charging, checking from behind, tripping and interference. The game was
locked at two apiece.
The third period began the same, with players going after each other. Wolverine Stefan
Serediak dropped his gloves against Oil Baron Spencer Kunz, and both received a ten-minute
game misconduct and five-for-fighting. After the dust had settled, the game remained tied.
There were over 500 fans in the building and they were getting quite the game.
At the fifteen-minute mark, the Oil Barons slipped one past the Wolverines netminder, Zac
Onyskiw, taking the lead 3-2. But, before the Baron fans even had a chance to sit down after
cheering, the Wolverines responded with a goal from Travis Verbeek, tying the game back up.
Both teams held on until the whistle blew. It would take overtime to end this matchup.
The overtime period was fast, lasting only 58 seconds. Wolverines fans did not get the result
they
wanted, as the Oil Barons took the win 4-3. The Wolverines still scored a point and, as of
Saturday, are tied with the Grande Prairie Storm for the AJHL North Division and the rest of the
league.
The next home game for the Wolverines will be at the beginning of December. The Lloydminster
Bobcats will be in town for a double-header on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7.
The Wolverines will also play the Canmore Eagles at home on Saturday, December 14.