Written by Coach Curran
The Drumheller Dragons played two home games this past weekend against the Camrose Kodiaks and the Calgary Mustangs, losing the former 4-1 and winning the latter 5-3 to split their weekend.
CAMROSE
On Friday we hosted the Camrose Kodiaks, who in our first two meetings with them this season won both games in their own rink. First period action saw both teams playing some tough defense and very few scoring chances. Despite this, the Kodiaks took advantage of a crazy bounce off the end boards and after one period the score was 1-0 for Camrose.
In the second period the game opened up a bit and Camrose scored two more to lead 3-0 after two periods.
Early in the third, Chad Hurtubise got the Dragons on the board and although we played a much better period the Kodiaks got an empty net goal to take the game 4-1.
It wasn’t as though we didn’t try hard in this game; that was not the problem. We just needed more from our veterans – to lead the team to play with more intensity and to play like I know we can: hard, physical and determined. Friday we played soft and that is something we just can’t do.
CALGARY MUSTANGS
On Saturday we took on the Calgary Mustangs, who are struggling this season, but after having lost our last two games it was very crucial that we were prepared to push the pace early on.
We did just that as Chad Hurtubise scored 21 seconds into the game to take a 1-0 lead. However, we let off the pedal and the Mustangs scored two unanswered goals in the first period and we went into the intermission trailing 2-1.
In the second period we came out strong again and we tied the game at 2 on a goal by Jordan Taupert. Several minutes later the Mustangs came right back, but once again the Dragons tied the game on another goal by Jordan Taupert and we ended the period tied at 3.
In the third period we really picked up the pace and on goals by Evan Rochowiak and Brett Campbell, we skated off to a 5-3 victory and back to 500 hockey.
Aside from the first shift, I thought we played a very poor first period, but in the second and third we played our best. As a team we need to realize that we are much more successful when all the players are working together and supporting each other all over the ice.
Photo by Broken Curfew Photography