The Delta Ice Hawks narrowly squeaked through a 2-1 win over Aldergrove Kodiaks Wednesday, Oct. 17 at Aldergrove Arena to keep their hold on the top spot in the league.
The Koddiaks put out their best effort yet this season, outshooting and generally outplaying the Delta guests, and opened the scoring for a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period.
Scoring for Aldergrove at 4:18 was Ryan Veillet, from the two McHaffie brothers, Spencer and Scott. The Kodiaks outshot the Hawks 11-10 in the first.
The Kodiaks also outshot the Hawks 17-7 in the second but a roughing penalty for Kodiaks’ Jean-Phillip Bouchard at 13:30 gave the Hawks the man advantage, which Hawks’ Anthony Brito seized 90 second later.
Brito netted his second of the night at 3:25 into the third for the game winner, and game first star for Brito. Shots were even at 10 apiece in the third.
Kodiaks’ Stefan Gonzales earned second star that night.
Kodiaks net minder Mark Menicucci was back in net for his second game this season, after recovering from a groin injury just ten minutes into the game two weeks ago.
Kodiaks Ryan Ziadie was handed a game misconduct in the third for instigating a fight.
It was the first suit-up for rookie Nolan Dyck, of Aldergrove, on the Kodiaks’ forward line, and he skated well.
The result keeps the Hawks in first place with 20 points after 12 games, while Aldergrove remains stuck at eight points after 11 games.
The Kodiaks travel to Port Moody Saturday, Oct. 20 to play the Black Panthers, host Mission City Outlaws on Wednesday, Oct. 24 and travel to Richmond to take on the Sockeyes Thursday, Oct. 25. The Kodiaks close out the month by hosting North Vancouver Wolf Pack Wednesday, Oct. 31.
The Aldergrove Kodiaks took a 6-2 beating from the North Vancouver Wolf Pack Saturday night at the Harry Jerome Sports Centre, for their sixth loss this season.
The Kodiaks outshot the Pack 38-30 but just couldn’t find the back of Anders Ten Vaanholt’s net for all but two of them, and the Pack’s keeper earned the game’s third star for his work.
Neither team scored on their power plays either, although the Kodiaks held their own in the first and third periods. The Kodiaks and Pack each scored one in the first and neither team could score in the third.
The second period was the clincher for the Kodiaks’ loss, with five markers from the Pack to one from the Kodiaks.
Scorers for Aldergrove were Matthew Vela at 14:30 in the first, assisted by Banjamin McWilliams and Marcus Houck, and MacLean Hewitt early in the second at 4:44, assisted by Stephen Ryan and Stefan Gonzales.
