Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Exhibition Game Ends with Gloom for Prince George

     Alberta is very flat. That’s also how the Spruce Kings felt following Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss against the Grande Prairie Storm.

     The team got off to a fast start, and led 2-0 before the Storm were able to claw back with a goal of their own in the first. Cole Todd scored the first goal when he received a great cross ice pass from Parker Colley that left him with half the net to shot into. Colley followed up shortly after with a goal of his own that took a funny ricochet off a defender’s leg.

     Before the period closed though, Ian Mclellan scored to bring his team within one goal.

     The second period would prove fruitless, as neither team managed a goal, but the Spruce Kings entered the third with some leftover power play time which gave the team an excellent opportunity to put the game away. They would come up without a goal, which proved costly as Grande Prairie added two goals within minutes of each other to take their first lead of the game.

     That would only last about 20 seconds though, as Kyle Johnson scored his first goal of the pre-season to tie the game at three.

     Both teams came close to sealing the deal before the end of regulation, but Liam McCloskey and Arik Weersink both stood on their heads in net. Weersinks best save came with seconds left on the clock when Nick Guerra was stopped on the doorstep, with a terrific sliding save.

     In overtime, Alex Stoley had a great opportunity when he jumped up for a two on one, but once again Weersink was up to the challenge. Off the ensuing whistle, Grande Prairie would storm up the ice, and slip home the dagger with a goal from Josh Zablocki.

     Prince George will finish up their pre-season this weekend when they play a home and home series against the Vernon Vipers.

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