Chris Clegg
South Peace News
All season long the Falher Pirates had control over the East Division standings.
Not any more!
The Manning Comets have passed the Pirates in the battle for first place after their crucial 4-2 win at Falher Jan. 11. Each team has five games left in the regular season but the Comets lead by two points and will win any possible tiebreaker because total wins is the first tiebreaker.
The Pirates also have road games at Dawson Creek and Spirit River looming next week so the chore becomes even more daunting.
And, they also travel to Manning for a makeup game Jan. 26 to make matters more difficult.
Cruz Cote opened the scoring for the Pirates in the first period but the Pirates could not hold the lead. Incredibly, the Pirates have held the lead in every game they lost this season, meaning they led in all 15 games played this season.
Deklan Whillans tied the game before the end of the period. Both goals came just over a minute apart in the final five minutes of the period.
In the second period, Ty Wiebe gave the Comets a lead they would never surrender. Edge Lambert’s power play goal with 5:32 left in the period made it 3-1 before Eric Sorenson pulled the Pirates to within one with late goal.
In the third, the Pirates fired 19 shots at goaltender Braden Gamble but could not score. Kye Whillans’ empty-net goal with 33 seconds left gave the Comets the win and control over the division.
In fact, if the Comets win out, they will clinch for first Lawrence Cup in 11 years (2013-14 and only the second in club history, the other in 1985-86) as they control their own destiny. The Comets would also win any tiebreaker over the Dawson Creek Canucks (each team has 24 points with five games left) barring a miraculous turn of events involving several overtime or shootout losses.
The Comets outshot the Pirates 50-42 in the contest and scored on one of three power play chances. The Pirates were blanked on two chances.
The Pirates get a week off before hosting the Fox Creek Knights in a Sunday game Jan. 19. The Pirates then face a gauntlet by going to Spirit River Jan. 23, Dawson Creek Jan. 25 and Manning Jan. 26 before ending the regular season at home Feb. 1 versus Valleyview.