The Crusaders were able to grab two points this weekend as they took on their two southern Alberta Rivals Brooks and Okotoks.
Sherwood Park would end up dropping the Bandit’s game 6-4 while shutting out the Oilers 4-0.
Coming into Friday’s contest the Cru’ were looking to snap a previous two game losing streak however it would be the Bandits opening the goal scoring as Liam Fitzpatrick would tip a point shot home to give the Bandits the 1-0 lead seven minutes into the period. Brooks would follow up with another goal when Luke Melnik would bury a loose rebound to give the Bandits a 2-0 lead. The Bandits would eventually triple their lead as Princeton commit Jack Rosensteel would be left alone in front of the frame as he would bury his 20th on the season and giving Brooks the commanding 3-0 lead with just about three minutes left in the first. The Crusaders would respond in the late stages of the period as Harvard commit and newest Crusader Michael Mikan would get his second as a guy in green and making it a 3-1 game heading into the middle frame.
The second would turn out to be an absolute dog fight as both teams would come out hard. The period’s first goal would not come until the five minute mark of the second as Braeden O’Keefe would bury his 17th on the man advantage to make it a one goal game 3-2. With just 45 second left in the period Bode Sampair would wire one on the powerplay to give the Crusaders forward his 13th on the season and tie the game up 3-3 heading into the third period.
The Bandits would re-take their lead as both Harry Ahlberg and Alexie Zhukov would score on a five minute major taken by the Crusaders as Brooks would make it 5-3 just five minutes into the final frame. The Crusaders would once again make it a one goal game as Joseph Sinclair would score just three minutes later on a Cru’ powerplay to give the Hamilton native his 23rd on the season, 5-4. The Bandits would end up icing the game as Mathis DuFour would capitalize on an arrant by the Crusaders to give the Bandits the eventual 6-4 win.
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Sherwood was looking to shake off the loss from the previous night as the welcomed the Okotoks Oilers. The Cru’ would be quick to get the lead as Quincey Supprien would score just six minutes in, snapping a 13 game goal-less drought and giving the Crusaders the 1-0 lead.
Quincey would be the lone goal in the first however another Crusader would get in on the fun as Joseph Sinclair would score on the man advantage just nine minutes into the middle frame to double the lead 2-0. Then just three minutes later Brant Romaniuk would also get on past Oilers net minder Patrik Kliment to make it a 3-0 game with eighth minutes left in the second. Bode Sampair would also score on the man advantage just three minutes later to give the Crusaders the 4-0 lead and the eventual win. With that win the Crusaders goalie Jack Scali earned his first career junior win.
The Crusaders continue their home-stand as they welcome the West Kelowna Warriors on Friday and the Cranbrook Bucks on Saturday for al an B.C matchup.
