The Lloydminster Bandits showed plenty of resilience over the weekend, sweeping a pair of 4–3 nail-biters to maintain their grip on top of the North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League standings.
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The Bandits kicked off the weekend in dramatic fashion on Friday night at the Cenovus Energy Hub, edging the Cold Lake Ice 4–3 in overtime. Shia Josue played the hero just 45 seconds into the extra frame, converting a feed from Adryan Bugiera to secure the extra point.
Cold Lake had jumped out to an early advantage when Nate Higgins opened the scoring in the first period, but Lloydminster responded before the intermission through Bugiera’s power-play marker. The teams traded blows in a high-octane middle frame, where Carson Mazzei and Jackson McCoy exchanged goals. Trailing late in regulation, Mazzei netted his second of the night at 12:36 of the third period to force overtime after Noah Fedor had briefly put the Ice ahead.
Ryan Stepanick anchored the Bandits between the pipes, turning aside 31 of 34 shots for the win. At the other end, Ray Musgrove faced a heavy workload, making 29 saves on 44 shots in the hard-fought loss.
Carrying that momentum on the road Saturday, the Bandits held off a late surge to defeat the Killam Wheat Kings 4–3 at Killam Memorial Arena.
Jake Redden opened the scoring for Lloydminster in the first period, and Jace Schmidt added a pair of goals—including a crucial strike with just seven seconds remaining in the second period—to counter a quick pair from Killam’s Tanner Sheets and Kelton Doolaege. Adryan Bugiera extended the lead to 4–2 in the third before a shorthanded marker from Jordan Gagnon pulled the Wheat Kings within one.
Stepanick stood tall once more, stopping 27 of 30 shots to earn his second victory in as many nights. Ethan Edwards was equally busy for Killam, kicking out 47 of 51 shots in a physical affair that featured 58 total penalty minutes, including matching fighting majors and game misconducts.
The Bandits return to action looking to extend their winning ways as they pace the junior B circuit.
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