Regals romp, then get stomped

Regals’ gaoaltender Cannon Cunningham attempts to grab the puck during a play by Grimshaw Huskies player Adrian Grimm (94) and Bryce Allen (not shown). Stewart Cunningham had to skate clear of Cannon Cunningham for him to grab it. However, seconds later, Lee Lamouche came along to snatch the puck away from the Huskies.

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

The High Prairie Regals were on both ends of lopsided victory last week, winning 11-2 against the Grimshaw Huskies, but losing 13-2 against the Fort St. John Flyers. The Regals played against the Huskies at home on Feb. 7. The trio of Tyler Shantz, Brad Macnab and Justin Paul turned strong in a strong performance at both ends of the ice. Shantz scored at 9:48 in the first frame, with assists going to Rocky Collins and Justin Paul. Brad Macnab scored a power play goal at 19:37, with Paul and Shantz assisting. The Regals were ahead 2-0 at the end of the first. The Regals continued to widen their lead early in the second period. Stewart Cunningham put the puck in on the short side at 3:21, while Lance Gauchier and Ryan Trimble assisted. Just 22 seconds later, Charles Laboucan scored an unassisted goal. Approaching the six-minute mark, Brad Macnab put the puck in on the short side after playing tic-tac-toe with Paul and Shantz. Lee Lamouche gave the Regals their sixth goal of the game at 16:38. He gained possession on a breakaway opportunity, took the puck down the ice and put it in the attic as he approached the net. Shantz and Rocky Sawchyn assisted on the play. Correy Wald put the Huskies on the board with a power play goal near the five-minute mark of the third period. The Huskies gained a little more momentum with a shorthanded goal at 6:24. Kyle Richardson put the puck in the attic on approach to the net. However, their hopes for a comeback were dashed a few minutes later. At 9:54, Lance Gauchier, the Regals captain, made a wraparound and slipped the puck between the goalie’s legs. Ty Macnab assisted. Then Shantz backhanded the puck into the net during a power play opportunity at 12:10, and Paul and Brad Macnab assisted. One minute later, Paul put the puck in while tripping over the goalie in his space. Shantz and Brad Macnab assisted. The Huskies tried to have the goal invalidated, but the referee let it stand. Just over a minute later, Ty Macnab got control of the puck and fired a shot as he was moving away from the net, which went in. Rollie Gladue assisted. Paul added one more to his tally at the 18-minute mark, when he put the puck between the goalie’s legs. Again, Shantz and Brad Macnab were in on the action. The game ended 11-2 for the Regals, and they out-shot the Huskies 28-50. Although the Regals won a lopsided victory against the Huskies, they went to Fort St. John on Feb. 9 underpowered. They had just 13 players, and only four of them were defencemen. Consequently, the Fort St. John Flyers were able to put the puck passed net minder Cannon Cunningham 11 times. Christopher Prpich took over from Cunningham at 7:10 in the third period, and he allowed two unanswered goals. “I give a lot of credit to the guys who showed,” says Coach Brian Martinson. Shantz opened the scoring for the Regals 1:31 in the first period. Taking the puck on a breakaway, Shantz fired a shot into the attic. Tim Cunningham and Rollie Gladue assisted. The Flyers dominated play after that, and well into the second period. Tyler Loney scored at the seven-minute mark, and Nathan Waberski scored two minutes later. Just 34 seconds into the second period, Matt Shuya fired a shot high into the net, giving the Flyers their third goal. Then Darren Peebles gave the Flyers two back-to-back power play goals in less than three minutes. Kip Noble put the puck between Cunningham’s legs at 11:14, giving the Flyers their sixth goal of the game. There was a spark of life for the Regals when Lee Lamouche scored an unassisted goal at 11:47. However, the Regals were caught off guard during a line change a few minutes later. Scott Longstaff exploited the opportunity, and slipped the puck passed Cunningham, giving the Flyers a 7-2 lead at the end of the second. The Flyers dominated the third period. Kip Noble and Darren Peebles scored their second goals of the game, while Clayton Bahm, Jeff Fast, Adam Loncan and Ian Munro scored one goal each. The final score was 13-2 for the Flyers, and they out-shot the Regals 52-18. The Flyers were three for four on the power play opportunity, while the Regals did not score on any of theirs. The High Prairie Regals now have a 16-7-2-2 record and 36 points for the season. They are on the road Feb. 16 to play against the Valleyview Jets. The Flyers are disqualified from the NPHL playoffs because they have entered the AAA (Allan Cup) playoffs. The Grande Prairie Athletics or Spirit River Rangers will be declared the West Division champions if the Flyers place first. Division winners are seeded 1-2-3 regardless of points.

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