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Sports 01: Regals scuttle Pirates
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away!
It’s how the High Prairie Regals must have felt after a week where they played their best hockey of the season and pulled into fourth place and the final playoff berth in the North Peace Hockey League’s East Division standings.
The Regals won 8-4 in Peace River Jan. 21 and 7-6 in overtime against the visiting Falher Pirates Jan. 23.
However, the Fairview Kings responded with a 5-4 shocking win over the visiting Lakeland Eagles Jan. 23 as they battle the Regals for the final playoff berth.
Each team has four games left and 16 points. Each team has games left against Falher and Lakeland, but the Kings play Valleyview twice while the Regals play Valleyview and Hythe. The Regals, however, would win any tiebreaker against the the Kings so the upset Fairview pulled off over Lakeland Jan. 23 hurt, especially when Lakeland went to north with skeleton crew.
And, if things fall right, High Prairie or Fairview could still pass Peace River for third place but it’s a longshot at best.
Still, the Regals have their fate in their hands for the first time in months and that’s all you can ask. They began the week with a win at Peace River, where they always have trouble winning. The Regals led 3-2 after one period and 5-3 after two in a game they never trailed.
Ira Gladue scored three goals and added a pair of assists, while Lloyd Ah-Kim-Nachie scored twice. Both his goals were in the third period. Incredibly, by the end of the week, 15 of Ah-Kim-Nachie’s 19 goals this season are third period markers. Ivan Cunningham, playing in his first game this season, Lawrence Anderson and Nick Anderson added the others.
Cory Wald, Darren Noskey, Mitch Kohut and Chad Burns replied for Peace River. The Regals kept Peace River’s big guns off the scoresheet including Aaron Parenteu, Chris Houlder and Nick Laporte, who were all pointless.
The Regals also won despite trying to shoot themselves in the foot. They took six of the game’s first seven penalties including three misconducts.
In the end, the Stamps scored only one goal in seven power play chances while the Regals were blanked on two chances, marking the third straight game their power play fizzled. Over six games, the power play was on a horrendous two for 22.
But as cold as the power play was, the penalty killing was just as hot. Kohut’s power play goal was the only goal surrendered in 21 chances over four games.
All that changed two nights later as the power play clicked three times in the 7-6 win over Falher. The Regals led 2-0 after one and 4-0 after two but watched the Pirates rally for six third period goals to lead 6-5. A late goal from Lawrence Anderson tied the game before Steven Thunder’s second goal of the night with only 23 seconds left won it for the Regals.
Gladue scored twice for the Regals as did Thunder, with other goals scored by Starr Sasakamoose and Ah-Kim-Nachie.
Jason Bouchard scored twice and added three assists for Falher while newcomer Brenann Francon scored twice and added two assists. Daniel Aubin and Richie Malenaar added the other goals.
Gladue, Thunder and Ah-Kim-Nachie brought the Regals’ inept power play to life with goals on seven chances. It also marked the first time all season the Regals scored three power play markers in a game.
Thunder’s overtime goal also prevented the Regals from playing their first home game shootout. Probably a good thing because the Regals are 0-3 all-time in shootouts albeit all were on the road, with two losses in Lakeland and one in Spirit River.
The Regals quest for a playoff berth continues this week when they travel to Valleyview Jan. 28 to play the Jets. The Regals return home Jan. 30 for a much tougher test against the Hythe Mustangs. Game time is 8:30 p.m. at the Sports Palace.
Meanwhile, Fairview travels to Lakeland Jan. 28 and return home Jan. 30 to play Valleyview.
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Jason Bouchard of the Falher Pirates, left, knocks down Dylan Cunningham of the High Prairie Regals during second period action Jan. 23. The Regals won 7-6 in overtime to vault into fourth place and the last playoff spot in the North Peace Hockey League’s East Division.
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