After a shutout loss at home against the rival Vermilion Tigers, the Lloydminster Bandits posted wins on each of the next two nights in the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League.
Read more: Bandits win two types of games
During a busy homestand at the Hub, the Bandits doubled the St. Paul Canadiens 4-2 on Saturday, after clipping the Wainwright Bisons 6-1 on Friday and falling 3-0 to Vermilion in a Thursday battle of the front-runners.
After the weekend action, the Bandits (15-4) sat alone in first place with 30 points, but they had played two more games than second-place Vermilion (14-3) and four more than No. 3 Wainwright (10-2-3).
BANDITS 4 CANADIENS 2
On Saturday, four Lloydminster players — Adryan Bugiera, Maddux Woodbury, Aidan Martens and Jayden Plamondon — each scored a goal and assist. Woodbury’s power-play marker made it a 2-0 game before the first period ended.
Jagger Fontaine and defenceman Connor Johnson, with his first junior B goal, scored for St. Paul (5-10).
Addison Kreuh made 32 saves for the Canadiens, while Haden Heide posted 16 stops for the Bandits.
Before the game, Lloydminster coach Josh Dudding presented commemorative plaques to Plamondon and Joel Webb. Both of those 21-year-old forwards have played more than 100 career regular-season games as Bandits.
BANDITS 6 BISONS 1
In a penalty-filled game Friday, Lloyd went up 2-0 in the first period and led 5-0 before Zach Nelson scored Wainwright’s lone goal a minute into the third.
Bugiera, Plamondon and Webb each recorded a goal and an assist. Martens, Colton Parker and Cash Parkin also scored for the Bandits, who connected three times on power plays. Defencemen Kade Dennett and Jace Schmidt each added two helpers.
Shae Stewart, with 27 saves, stood out between the pipes for Lloydminster. Lochlan Jenner registered 23 stops for Wainwright.
TIGERS 3 BANDITS 0
While the Bandits have only lost four games this season, three of those defeats have come against the Tigers.
Both teams entered Thursday’s game with identical 13-3 records.
Aiden Fox of Marwayne posted 36 saves to record Vermilion’s shutout victory.
Lloydminster native Parker Vaughan’s power-play goal eight minutes into the second period proved to be the winner. Caden Anderson and Dannon Pavka, with an empty-netter, also scored. Kaden Davidson assisted on each of the Tigers’ first two goals.
Heide blocked 25 of the 27 shots he faced in the Bandits’ net.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
In other games last Saturday, host Wainwright blanked the last-place Vegreville Rangers 7-0, while the Cold Lake Ice went to a shootout to edge the visiting Killam Wheat Kings 4-3.
On Friday, Killam crushed the Rangers 12-3 in Vegreville, and host Cold Lake downed St. Paul 5-2.
THE WEEK AHEAD
In its lone game this week, Lloydminster visits Vegreville (1-16) on Saturday night.
Elsewhere this weekend, Cold Lake (9-7-1) hits the road for games Saturday night in Wainwright and Sunday afternoon at Killam (4-11-1).
Weekend action begins with two games Friday night, as Vegreville heads to St. Paul and Vermilion travels to Killam. On Saturday night, the Tigers entertain St. Paul at Vermilion Stadium.
Read more: Bisons hand Bandits their first setback
