Sherwood Park had their hand’s full this weekend as they welcomed the Trail Smoke Eaters at home on Friday, hit the road to on Saturday to take on the Bulldogs and welcomed the Bulldogs back on Sunday for a three game weekend.
Crusaders would get a total of three points over the three games, winning 3-1 against Trail, losing 3-2 in OT to the Bulldogs on Saturday and also dropping another 3-2 loss to Blackfalds on Saturday.
The Crusaders were looking to shake off last Friday’s 4-2 loss to Trail coming into the first game of the weekend and they would come out hot as Michael Mikan scored just 55 seconds into the period to give the newest Crusader his first as a Guy in Green and to give the Cru’ the early 1-0 lead. The Smoke Eaters would end up tying the game up as Cash Carter would tip home a point shot to give the Alberta native his 21st on the season and to finish the period with a score of 1-1.
The game’s next goal wouldn’t come until the third period as Rockston Ror-Chow would bury a loose puck in the crease to give the local boy his fourth of the season and the Crusaders the 2-1 lead just 90 second into the Final Frame. Miles Burgin would then score just five seconds later off a beautiful centering feed from Joseph Sinclair to give the Crusaders the 3-1 lead. The Crusaders would shut down the Smoke Eaters the rest of the period giving them the 3-1 win and their first victory over Trail this Season
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Needless to say the Cru’ were pretty pumped up for their matchup against the Blackfalds Bulldogs on the following night. The Bulldogs and the Crusaders would go back and fourth through all of the first period and a chunk of the second until Bode Sampair would steal the puck out in front of the net and score short-handed to give the game it’s first goal three minutes into the second period. Sherwood Park would end up getting another shorthanded goal as Ryan White would bury a big rebound out in front of the Bulldogs net to put the Crusaders up 2-0 with 12 minutes left in the second. The Bulldogs would end up getting on of their own in the late stages of the second as Danny Hussa would bury his tenth of the season on a great individual effort to finish off the period with a score of 2-1.
The Bulldogs would end up tying the game with seven minutes left as Antoine Gauthier would score on the powerplay to tie the game up 2-2.
Sixty minutes would solve nothing between these two clubs and the two Alberta rivals would have to settle it in OT. Blackfalds would end up winning in OT with just 44 second left in OT as Krisjanis Sarts would get one glove side on Filip Vavro to give the Bulldogs the 3-2 win.
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The Crusaders were looking to exercise some demons on Sunday as they had a chance to redeem themselves from the previous nights OT loss.
Much like the Saturday matchup Sherwood Park would get on the board first as Braeden O’Keefe would score on the powerplay to give the Crusaders the 1-0 lead twelve minutes into the first period.
The Bulldogs would bark back however as Luke Dahlen would get his 26th marker on the season to tie the game up 1-1 just four minutes into the second period. Nikita Ivashchenko would then get his team leading 29th on the season as he would bury a loose puck in front of the net to put the Bulldogs up 2-1. The Crusaders however would respond in the late stages of the period as Erik Kald would score in the dying second of the frame to once again tie the game up, 2-2.
The Crusaders and the Bulldogs would battle all period long however it would be the Bulldogs coming away with the win as Liam Hoff would send a shot through traffic that would beat Jack Scali to give the Bulldogs the 3-2 lead and the eventual win.
Sherwood Park now looks to shake off a two game losing streak as they welcome to Alberta foes over the weekend, the Brooks Bandits on Friday and the Okotoks Oilers on Saturday.
Tickets for both games can be found here.
