There was a decent crowd at the Drayton Valley Thunder’s regular season home opener last Friday night.
On Sept. 19, 1,130 fans packed the stands to cheer on the team’s 4-1 victory over the Olds Grizzlys.
The Grizzlys started the action off with a goal from Rhett Miller at 11:39. He was assisted by Jake MacDonald and Hunter Motley.
The Thunder’s Jack Sears, with Dryden Tomkow, then tied it up 1-1 nearly seven minutes later.
Frame two saw a few minor penalties to each team, but no goals scored.
Drayton Valley kicked it into gear for period three, with Daniel Zhou scoring a power play goal with assistance from Jack Sears at 6:54.
About 1:30 later, Kingston Sauter assisted Dryden Tomkow for a 3-1 lead.
Then, Jack Sears scored his second goal of the season and secured the 4-1 final at 12:58. Daniel Zhou and Taynton Lavender chipped in the helpers.
On Sept. 21, the Thunder fell 8-5 to the Camrose Kodiaks after three packed periods.
Kingston Sauter started the action off for Drayton at 4:02, with assistance from Loughlan McMullan and Cohen Carter to make it 1-0.
Jerrett Ross took a charging minor less than two minutes later, opening the door for Kodiak Junshi Hideshima to assist Bowen Grycan with a power play goal, tying it up to 1-1. It was Grycan’s third goal of the season.
That started a hot streak for the team, with AJ Schaaf securing his third goal of the season as well about 10 minutes later. He was assisted by Kieran Osberg.
That 2-1 lead got bumped to 3-1 at 17:42 when Luke Taylor scored for Camrose, with the helpers going to Tavish Beagle and Ryan Seeley.
The Kodiaks kept pushing to end the period at 4-1 with just 37 seconds left, thanks to a goal by Quinn Abbott, assisted by Liam Payne.
The Thunder’s Cale Chimera started frame two in the box, finishing off a high sticking minor from the first. Drayton Valley bounced back with a shorthanded goal by Damian Hill, supported by Billy Hooson, bringing it to 4-2 less than one minute in.
At 6:06, the Kodiak’s Tucker Tullikopf ended up in the box for interference. Five seconds later, Drayton’s Daniel Zhou, with support from Taynton Lavender and Dryden Tomkow, took advantage of the power play to make it 4-3, still in Camrose’s favour.
Later, at the tail end of a Drayton Valley power play after a hooking minor by Kodiak Adrien Fox, AJ Schaaf assisted Kieran Osberg with a shorthanded goal for Camrose. Gavin Faul then widened that lead to 6-3 at 14:44, with the helper going to Tavish Beagle.
Penalties picked up in period three and two Kodiaks, Evan Carver and Bowen Grycan went to the box less than two minutes in for charging and tripping. Daniel Zhou, along with Colson Ganser and Dryden Tomkow, took advantage for a power play goal, narrowing the Kodiaks lead to 6-4.
But Camrose followed suit, capitalizing on a tripping minor by the Thunder’s Cale Chimera for a power play goal at 4:48. Tucker Tullikopf scored the 7-4 goal with assistance from Junshi Hideshima and Bowen Grycan.
Will Jamiseon fired back for Drayton just over a minute later to bring it to 7-5. His first goal of the season was supported by Caedem Emmett and Kingston Sauter.
The 8-5 final lead was secured by Kodiak Gavin Faul at 9:46, with the helpers going to Quinn Abbott and Tyson Murray.
The Whitecourt Wolverines are back on the ice in Drumheller to face the Dragons this Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.
Comments