The Canucks hit the ice on Friday ready to face the Drayton Valley Thunder. The Canucks opened the scoring at 3:09 of the first as Canucks AP #5 Connor Bertamini scored his first AJHL goal from #24 Hayden Ursulak and #19 Zach Russell. Just past the midway point the period #27 Jordan McConnell scored on the power play to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead. The Thunder would move within one with a goal from #24 Felix Meunier. After 20 minutes of play the Canucks held onto a 2-1 lead. In the second the Canucks would extend their lead courtesy of #22 Josh Giacomin. The goal was assisted by #23 Mark Drohan and #25 Zach Webb. The second would end with the Canucks still up 3-1. 12:52 into the third the Thunder got another on the board from #24 Felix Meunier. The Canucks wouldn’t let the Thunder close the gap as #19 Zach Russell scored on the power play from #4 Kyler Newman and #8 Jaxon Steele. The Canucks would move further ahead on the scoreboard as #23 Mark Drohan put one into the back of the net from #7 Michael Clarke and #22 Josh Giacomin. With just 8 seconds left in the period #24 Felix Meunier scored his third of the game with the man advantage to make it 5-3. With time running out the Canucks would win the game 5-3!
Next up was the top team in the North Division, the Spruce Grove Saints. There was a lot of back-and-forth in the first but both teams would head into the second period scoreless. The Saints were the first to score with a goal from #15 Parker Saretsky. The Canucks responded scoring a goal of their own from #23 Mark Drohan, assisted by #27 Jordan McConnell. The Saints would score two goals in the final 34 seconds of the period, one at the buzzer to move ahead 3-1. The goals were scored by #15 Parker Saretsky and #27 Chase Olsen. The Canucks were on a mission to change the outcome in the third and opened the period with a goal just 43 seconds in from #27 Jordan McConnell from #22 Josh Giacomin. The Canucks would tie the game up with a goal from #25 Zach Webb. Assists on the goal went to #27 Jordan McConnell and #22 Josh Giacomin. The Canucks would get the go ahead goal courtesy of #25 Zach Webb who scored his second of the game at the mid-way mark of the third. In the final minutes of the game #13 Cooper Johnson would put things away for the Canucks off a set up from #19 Zach Russell. The Canucks would end up winning 5-3!
Up next, the Canucks will play Tuesday, February 6th the Canucks and will host the Drumheller Dragons. The Canucks will then head out to Canmore to face the Eagles on Friday, February 9th before returning home to the Ken Bracko Arena to face the Grande Prairie Storm.
Go Canucks Go!