Dragons Shake Things Up- With A Win Or Two
The Drumheller Dragons that we are used to seeing-a physical team that finishes what they start-have re-emerged. After a tough start to the season and some surprising shuffles in the lineup the Dragons seem to have found their way back to the winners circle with two consecutive wins for the first time in several weeks.
Their first win was against Canmore in a wild game played in Banff on Tuesday night in front of an excited crowd. Drumheller would push through and come back in the third period against the Canmore Eagles after being down 5-2 at the start of the period. The Dragons would score their winning goal on a breakaway in overtime to win 7-6 in a game that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Their second win would come last night when Drumheller hosted the Sherwood Park Crusaders, a strong team and believed by many to be a serious contender for the championship. The second period is where, to the surprise of the Crusaders, fans got to watch their team come into their own and play the game they love. The boys have struggled during the second period this season but last night they worked hard and never gave up- pushing through. The result was clear to everyone as the Dragons would win 6-3 in front of a proud hometown crowd.
The game would start with the Crusaders getting on the board first but several minutes later Dragons Matt Muzyka would tie the game at 1 apiece. Drumheller would keep the pressure up and play a strong period with several scoring chances but at the end of the first the score would remain tied 1-1.
The Dragons would take control of the game in the second period, scoring 4 goals and showcasing a team ready to battle. Affiliate player Will Van Der Sloot who has played the last 2 games would score his first goal in the AJHL to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. The momentum would continue as minutes later Connor Boyd would score to make it 3-1. The Park would answer to make it 3-2 and at this junction in the game is where the Dragons battled their demons and turned it around. They didn’t hang their heads instead they pushed back with goals by Trygve Many Guns and Scott Ivey (home star) making it 5-2 at the end of the second.
In the third period the Crusaders would score to make it 5-3 but the Dragons remained calm and played a strong period defensively allowing Sherwood Park very few chances. Jacob Schofield on a power play would give the Dragons back their 3 goal lead and the game would end 6-3.
Coach Brian Curran,” The comeback against the Eagles in Banff was a great effort and after the game the boys as a team really started to believe in one another. This game tonight was one that the boys needed. The game is always about the win and loss column but for me this game tonight was about the boys believing in themselves and their teammates. A team that plays as a family and holds each other accountable can move mountains. They are starting to believe and I hope that this is just the start of great things to come.”
Dragons host the Drayton Valley Thunder tonight Saturday, December 12 at 7:30pm in the Drumheller Memorial Arena.