Chris Clegg
South Peace News

The High Prairie Regals dropped their second game to start the NPHL season Nov. 1 at Valleyview but two losses by three goals is not anything to be ashamed of.

The Regals lost 4-3 at Valleyview after opening the season with a 3-1 loss to the defending champion Spirit River Rangers the previous week.

The concern has to be scoring only four goals in two games but coach Trent Meyaard believes things will turn around.

“We hit multiple posts and crossbars and had two disallowed goals called back after we celebrated,” says Meyaard.

Like the opener against the Rangers, no puck luck!

Baley Gagne opened the scoring for the Jets but the Regals rebounded with a power play goal from Luc L’Hirondelle before Jeremy MacDonald gave the Regals a 2-1 lead.

In the second period, the Jets rallied to take a 3- 2 lead on goals from John Apsassin and Tyler Wirth.

Colby Krueger’s third period goal gave the Jets a 4-2 lead and proved to be the game-winner after Larry Yellowknee’s goal with 6:12 remaining set up an exciting finish.

The Regals’ had only two power play chances in the game.

“The power play looked really good,” says Meyaard.

“Right now, our timing and the chemistry is just a bit off. We are working out some quirks and line combinations. Everything is coming together. It’s a great group of men.”

What had to be alarming was the 64 shots allowed but it’s something Meyaard dismisses.

“They counted everything from a dump in their end to anything that would’ve been icing. They counted as a shot. It was so skewed it wasn’t even funny!”

No matter the final number, Regals’ goaltender Emile Kappo was terrific.

“He was solid and kept us there in the first,” says Meyaard when the Regals were outshot 22-12 but led 2-1.

“We were very sluggish again early but Emile was rock solid for the entire game. With the passing of his mother, Emile was nothing less than spectacular.”

Meyaard believes the game would have had a different outcome when the Regals had a disallowed goal which would have made it 3-1.

“After that, we ran into some penalty troubles and they eventually tied up the game and took the lead,” says Meyaard.

However, the Regals killed off all five Jets’ chances in the game.

“Special teams is a good sign moving forward,” says Meyaard.

“The penalty kill was spot-on.”

Meyaard is expecting another big crowd when the arch-rival Falher Pirates come to town Nov. 7.

“I expect 500+ (fans). We went and watched Falher and Grande Prairie Saturday night and it sounds like at least 100 Pirate fans will be coming from the conversations we had. We best be ready to go because the Pirates bring a lot of speed.”