Don’t look now but the Falher Pirates have won two straight games and are quickly climbing up the NPHL standings.
The Pirates defeated the visiting Fox Creek Knights 4-1 Nov. 29 to move into fourth place in the jumbled nine-team league standings with a 4-3 record as the league nears the halfway point in the season.
It also completed a much-needed weekend sweep for the Pirates, who defeated the High Prairie Regals 10-4 the previous night and added to the Knights’ woes, who have now lost six straight games to start their second NPHL season.
The Pirates led 1-0 after one period on Walker Cote’s power play goal at the 13:24 mark.
In the second period, Geoff Bjarnson’s power play goal tied the game 1-1 until Joe Sylvain broke the tie. It was a lead the Pirates would never surrender. Josh Sylvain made it 3-1 before the end of the period and added a third period goal for insurance purposes.
Each team received only 10 minutes in penalties in the contest and both were one-for-four on the power play.
The Pirates narrowly outshot the Knights 38-37. Goaltender Ryan Noble stopped 36 of 37 shots to record the win over the Knights, who have only scored 10 goals in their six games.
The Pirates will keep their travel down as Christmas nears. They return to Fox Creek Dec. 5 to play the Knights, then go to Valleyview Dec. 12 to play the Jets before hosting the High Prairie Regals Dec. 20 in their final game before the Christmas break.
Chris Clegg
South Peace News