Age and size fends off youth and speed

This past Friday the Portage College Voyageurs hosted the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL for the first of two games between the rather un-familiar teams. Portage has played the AJHL's Fort McMurray Oil Barons in previous exhibition seasons.

The Pontiacs iced a line-up of seven veterans as they took the ice with a Voyageur team that was skating seven of its ten returning players.

The Voyageurs were in tough against a group of Pontiac players who had spent a lot more time in training camps than the new or returning to town Voyageurs; Portage used their size to quell the speed of the Pontiacs with big hits including former Swan Valley Stampeder Brent Wilson who laid out Lac La Biche's own Ryan Kearns of the Pontiacs in the first period.

The Voyageurs opened the scoring in the first frame as new guy from Buffalo Narrows SK Codie Pederson slipped a rebound past the Pontiacs rookie 'tender Curtis Honey. Portage went up by two in the second as their only 4th year veteran player Gerald Desjerlais knocked in a bank shot as a penalty expired. Bonnyville got within a goal late in the second when American Max Collins cranked a snap shot past Kyle Birch from the top of the circle.

The speed of the Pontiacs caused problems for the Voyageurs throughout the third period as the benefit of a longer training camp became apparent for the heavy legged Portage squad. Mackenzie MacAvoy tied the game mid-way through the third with a blocker side slapper off a turn-over.

OT solved nothing at the Bold Center, the Pontiacs had several chances including a strong rush at the net right off the opening face-off but there was no more scoring to be had. ACAC rules were in effect and no shoot-out was had, the two squads skated to a 2-2 tie.

On Saturday down south in Bonnyville the Voyageurs topped the Pontiacs 6-3 with the help of three power-play goals and new forward Richard Cameron who notched two goals, Cory Giroux also tallied four points over the weekend.

Coach Terry Ewasiuk is excited about the offensive depth of the team and should have a better man advantage this season with the likes of former MJHL stud Jory Geddes providing his influence on the PP.

PC has only one more home game in their pre-season line-up as they host Gold Medalist Shannon Szabados and the MacEwan Griffins on the 16th of September.