The Lloydminster Bandits have finally lost a junior B hockey game.
After opening the season with six victories, the Bandits fell 6-1 against their rivals, the Wainwright Bisons, on Sunday (Oct. 19) evening at Peace Memorial Multiplex in Wainwright.
The reigning-champion Bisons, with a 5-1-2 record, have pulled even in points with the Bandits in second place in the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League. Lloydminster has played one less game than Wainwright and two fewer than the first-place Vermilion Tigers (7-2).
The Bandits were victorious on home ice Friday night as they defeated the Cold Lake Ice 5-2 at the Cenovus Energy Hub.
Wainwright played a home game in the Provost Regional Activity Centre on Saturday night and registered a 3-1 victory over Vermilion.
Read more: Bandits, Tigers clash in battle of unbeaten
BISONS 6 BANDITS 1
Back home in Wainwright on Sunday, the Bisons scored three straight second-period goals before Jayden Plamondon responded with the lone Lloyd goal.
The Bisons added three more goals in the final period, during which Haiden Heide took over from starting goaltender Shae Stewart in the Bandits’ net.
Stewart stopped 23 of 27 shots through 47 minutes of action. Heide gave up two goals on seven shots in the final 13 minutes.
Lochlan Jenner, with 30 saves, gained the Wainwright victory on Sunday.
Tanner Werenka (2-1) and Ryker Singer (1-2) each had three-point nights. Braden Aker, Brandon Glover and Lucas McClennon also scored for the Bisons, who connected three times on power plays.
The Bandits played both of their weekend games without captain Joel Webb.
BANDITS 5 ICE 2
On the Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the Hub, Heide made 34 saves Saturday for his fourth victory in as many games.
Aidan Martens collected two goals and an assist to lead Lloydminster. Corvan Stewart, Adryan Bugiera and Cole Kelly, with his first junior B marker, also scored. Colton Parker added two assists.
The Bandits fired 31 shots at Cold Lake goaltender Mark Peddle. Jackson Schreyer and Sawchuk tallied for the Ice (5-4).
BISONS 3 TIGERS 1
At Provost, host Wainwright got goals from Singer, on the power play, Werenka and McClennon, into an empty net.
The league’s top scorer, Cade Meiklejohn, had brought Vermilion to within a goal with 1:09 left, but McClennon sealed the Bisons’ deal 30 seconds later.
Meiklejohn, a former junior A forward from Leduc, has nine goals and 16 points after nine games with the Tigers.
Ryder Zubiak stopped 30 shots for Wainwright, while Vermilion’s Aiden Fox made 24 saves.
TIGERS 7 CANADIENS 4
At home last Friday, Vermilion scored four power-play goals to top St. Paul (2-5).
Meiklejohn led the way with three goals and two assists. Cash Capjack, with two, Rogan Macnab and Ean Cooke scored the Tigers’ other goals.
St. Paul’s Quinn Szpak potted two goals and two assists, while Riley Cumby netted two goals and one helper.
The Tigers posted 51 shots against Canadiens goalie Boston Carter, while Ryan Stowe faced 31 shots in the Vermilion net.
AROUND THE NET
It was a two-win weekend for the Killam What Kings (3-5), who doubled Cold Lake 6-3 on Saturday, after posting a 6-4 victory over the Vegreville Rangers (0-8) on Friday.
St. Paul clipped Vegreville 5-3 on Saturday.
This weekend, Lloydminster plays three games in as many days, visiting Vermilion at 8 p.m. Friday, before hosting Vegreville at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Killam at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Read more: Bandits’ Dennett ‘skates like the wind’
