Chris Clegg
South Peace News
An emphatic opening night home ice win where the team raised last year’s championship banner, and a loss to last season’s second-best team, highlighted the High Prairie Red Wings season opening weekend.
The Red Wings crushed the visiting Redwater Pioneers 8-1 Sept. 27 before suffering a similar lopsided 7-1 loss to the hometown Edson Eagles the next night.
The Pioneers, who relocated to Redwater during the offseason, proved early they were the same old Pioneers – a lousy hockey team. The Red Wings jumped out to a 5-1 first period lead and put the rest of the game on cruise control.
Nolan Noskey opened the scoring at the 4:07 mark with assists to Tate Paul and Kelton Noskey.
The Pioneers replied just over a minute later when Rhett Becker tied the game but that was all the offence the Pioneers could muster.
The Red Wings scored three goals in a 2:31 span beginning at the 8:16 mark when Barrett Butcher put the Red Wings ahead to stay. Noah Cunningham potted a pair of goals in 31 seconds shortly afterwards and the Red Wings were off and running. Paul added another goal before the end of the period to make it 5-1.
Jordan Anderson scored the lone goal of the second period before Harlan Noskey and Kelton Noskey added third period goals to complete the rout.
The Red Wings outshot the Pioneers 46-22 including 23-15 in the first period and 23-6 in the third. The official gamesheet records the Red Wings outshot the Pioneers 1-0 in the second period, pretty difficult to believe.
At Edson the next night, the Eagles opened the scoring in the first minute when Andras Kehl scored. Paul replied at the 14-minute mark and the teams headed to the break tie 1-1. Similar to the Pioneers the night before, the Red Wings could not muster any more offence the rest of the night.
Meanwhile, the Eagles scored three goals in the second period and added three more in the third. Lendel Lewis scored a pair while Landy Johnson added the other. In the third, Lewis completed his hat trick while Johnson added his second of the night and Mason Buzzell his first.
Seventy minutes in penalties were called during the game, with the Red Wings sent to the sin bin for only 27 minutes compared to the Eagles 43.
The Eagles outshot the Red Wings 35-28.
The Red Wings play their next three game on the road, at Lac La Biche Oct. 5, Mayerthorpe Oct. 6 and back to Lac la Biche Oct. 12. Next home game is Oct. 13 when they host the Eagles in a rematch of last year’s thrilling seven-game final.
