The Drayton Valley Thunder were in Camrose on Thursday, March 7, where they defeated the Kodiaks 5-4 in overtime in game-one of a best-of-five play in series to determine which team will have the eighth seed position for the Alberta Junior Hockey League 2024 playoffs.
Ty Hodge opened the scoring for the Kodiaks with a shorthanded goal at 19:46. Hodge’s first goal of the post-season was assisted by Spencer Masters.
At the end of the first period, the Camrose Kodiaks had outshot the Drayton Valley Thunder 7-5 and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Garret Thom extended the Kodiaks’ lead to 2-0 with a power play goal at 3:34 of the second period. Avery Trotter and goaltender Carson Ironside were credited with the assists on Thom’s first goal of the post-season.
Ty Hodge scored his second goal of the game at 4:56, this time on a power play. Bradley Gallo and Brenden Bedorf were credited with the assists on Hodge’s second goal of the post-season.
Ludovik Tardif scored the fourth and final goal of the game for the Kodiaks at 11:47 in the second period. Brenden Bedorf picked up the solo assist on Tardif’s first goal of the post-season.
Drayton Valley’s Grant Fuchsen then scored his first goal of the post-season at 18:37 in the third period to start the rally for the visitors. Sammy May and Kurt Gurkan were credited with the assists.
At the end of the second period, the Camrose Kodiaks had outshot the Drayton Valley Thunder 15-7 and took a 4-1 lead into the second intermission.
Cooper Brown had back-to-back goals in the third period with the first goal being scored at 1:26. Matthias Bessey and Luke Roberts were credited with the assists on Brown’s first goal of the post-season.
Brown’s second goal of the game was scored on the power play at 10:07. Sammy May picked up the lone assist on Brown’s second goal of the post-season.
Kurt Gurkan tied the game 4-4 at 11:21 of the third period with his first goal of the post-season. Sammy May and Anton Yatsyshin assisted on the game-tying goal.
At the end of the third period, the Camrose Kodiaks had blown a three-goal lead and had been outshot 8-5.
Anton Yatsyshin scored the game-winning goal on the power play, 5:19 into the overtime frame to secure the 5-4 victory for the Thunder. Adam Grenier and Ty Gordon assisted on Yatsyshin’s first goal of the post-season.
The Camrose Kodiaks were outshot 6-3 in overtime but outshot the Drayton Valley Thunder 30-26 in total.
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The Drayton Valley Thunder now lead this best-of-five series 1-0.
Game two of this series will be played on Friday, March 8, at the Encana Arena in Camrose at 7:00
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