Shantz and Co. blitz Comets in opener

Chris Clegg
South Peace News

Tyler Shantz did not waste any time putting his stamp back on the High Prairie Regals. Shantz scored four goals and added a pair of assists in his first game back in red, white and black as the Regals blitzed the visiting Manning Comets 8-3 on Oct. 27. The win marked the first time in four North Peace Hockey League seasons the Regals won a home opener. It was also the first game for the Comets, who have lost three straight road openers and seven of eight overall. Regals’ president Lee Hunt says it’s a good way to start the season, especially since the club started slowly in the first period. “We were very tentative,” says Hunt. “We shot the puck in the goalie’s chest a few times.” The Comets took a 1-0 lead with just under two minutes left in the first period as Kory Greschner scored on a rebound off Greg McCracken’s point shot. The turning point in the game was late in the first period when Regals’ goaltender Cannon Cunningham stopped Bobby Whillans on a breakaway. Had Whillans scored, the Comets would have been ahead 2-0. Minutes later, however, the Regals were ahead 3-1. “To watch him make the save – it was unbelievable,” says Hunt. “I could not believe he stopped it.” “It was a big difference,” lamented Comets’ coach Ron Sharp. “If it’s in the second or third period it doesn’t matter much but in the first it gives you a big boost.” Indeed, the Regals were in the Halloween spirit in the second period as they played the part of Jekyll and Hyde. As sloppy as they were in the first period, they came out of the gates strong in the second by outshooting the Comets 21-9. Shantz’s wrist shot blew past Kenton Yasinski to tie the game at 5:12. Just over a minute later, T.J. Cunningham scored during a delayed penalty and the Regals were ahead to stay. “I think our guys started to run out of gas in the second period,” says Sharp, alluding to the fact the Comets dressed only 11 skaters and a goalie. “And you can’t let one guy roam around,” he added, obviously referring to Shantz but refusing to recognize him by name. Cunningham would add a second goal on a rebound before the period was half over. By game’s end, Shantz, T.J. Cunning- ham and Justin Paul accounted for seven goals and seven assists drawing praise from Hunt, who said they dominated the game after the first period. The Comets pulled to within one on Brett Sharp’s power play goal but Jarod Okemow scored the eventual game-win- ning goal as he capped off a nice passing play. In the third period, Justin Paul scored on a rebound before Shantz’s power play marker put the game out of reach. Shantz would add two more goals in the period, one on a power play, the other short-han- ded. Whillans countered with a power play goal of his own to end Manning’s scoring. The Regals effectively crashed the net all night. They scored four goals on rebounds and tipped two more past Yasinski from close in. Had they been a little more lucky, the goals would have come in bunches. “It’s something we work on in practice,” says Hunt. “We want to get shots on the net and go to the post. In the past we were a little soft around the net.” The Comets definitely noticed. “We’re having so much trouble in our own end,” says coach Sharp. “We practice it so much but it’s not working.” He was pleased with the effort, not the result. “We had a good enough effort for what we had,” says Sharp. “The numbers (of players) haven’t been good so far. We’ll use affiliates (midgets) and we have quite a few good ones.” The Regals, who only dressed 14 skaters themselves, outshot the Comets 47-25 in the contest and scored twice on six power play chances while the Comets clicked on two of seven chances. “Shane Smith and Rocky Collins phoned and said they couldn’t make it,” says Hunt. As a result, the Regals dropped Rollie Gladue back on defence but he enjoyed a fine game, as many of the Regals. Cannon Cunning- ham’s win between the pipes him only five short of 100 for his career as he upped his record to 95-63-4 for an impressive .586 winning percentage. On Nov. 3 the Regals play their first road game of the season and it’s a tough one as they travel to Spirit River to play the Rangers. The Regals haven’t won in Spirit River since 1996.

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