Portage College Voyageurs Hockey

A final Voyageurs blog

2011-09-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Before I hit the road for my amazing new position as broadcaster of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL I’d like to thank a list of people who continuously work to prolong the success of the Portage College Voyageurs.

First of all, I would like to say that the past three and a half years in Lac La Biche have been an absolute pleasure. I cannot imagine a better place for a person to start their broadcasting career.

My time here has allowed me to meet and interview incredible people from all walks of life. For the opportunities this job and this town have provided, I cannot be more gracious.

Nothing would have ever transpired between Newcap Broadcasting, Big Dog 103.5 and the Portage College without the support of its former President, Bill Persley. Mr. Persley always welcomed me into his office with a wide smile, a firm handshake and treated me as if we had been playing golf together for 20 years. The community of Lac La Biche is lucky to have a current college President like Trent Keough.

Without their support and the work of great college staff such as Leona Gellar and Diana Cook there never would have been a broadcast to speak of.

Covering the Portage Voyageurs was an easy job with the help of Head Coach Terry Ewasiuk and his staff; Clint Trimble, Chaffic Moghrabi, Steve Henderson and behind-the-scenes gurus Lorne Moen and Reno Laroque. Thanks to these people, the Voyageurs never miss a beat, at home, on the road.. or on freezing cold North Dakotan highways.

Terry was never too busy for an interview, a quiet chat about the team or an opinion on the ACAC, Even when he was too busy I could count on a phone call in no less than an hour for a long chat with the coach. For his help in making the coverage of the team so seamless and simple, I thank him greatly.

Massive accolades go out to all members of the PCAA (Portage College Athletics Association) for which I’ve been a member for over three years. The work these people do behind the scenes to keep this program strong is constant and thankless. Lac La Biche is fortunate to have such great people.

It would be foolish to overlook the contributions of Portage College Voyageur players who made every game a privilege to watch and cover, without the efforts of former and current players such as Chris Glen, Brendan Lamb, Ian Hall, Gerald Desjerlais, Leo Keefer and many, MANY more this program would not be as strong as it is today. Thank you for your efforts on the ice and in this community.

Going to the rink to watch a game won’t be the same without intermission chats with rink announcer Stephen Klassen, You always gave me great insight over your decaf coffee, your extra pair of eyes never ceased to help the broadcast. It’s too bad we could never steal you away from those loud speakers for a comfy colour position.

Huge thanks go out to those who jumped in the broadcast booth to help commentate, thanks to Rick Flumian, Dan Harvard, Dan Nadeau, Matt Rogers, Dan Gallant and all Voyageur players who were willing over the past three years.

I’d like to say great thanks to our amazing voices at the Centennial Arena and Bold Center, Nadine Gordey-Landstrom and Lauren Wells. Your stirring performances of O Canada were better than anything a black coffee or energy drink could provide.

A final thank you to the arena staff, volunteers, bus drivers and of course the fans, locals, parents and listeners who would tune in to hear all the action, thank you for your support and kind words that made the broadcasts even more fun.

I’d like to say a final thank you to Dan Gallant, who supported me in all my efforts to get broadcasts going as soon as the team was on the ice. Leigh Steele for three years of pushing buttons in a dark studio and most of all to my parents, who never missed a broadcast, except the first ever game, they sat 20 feet in front of me with their radio and head phones, thank you.

Age and size fends off youth and speed

2011-08-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Reflections from Training Camp: Day 1

2011-08-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

On Monday the Portage Voyageurs jumped on the ice for their first day of 2011-2012 Training Camp, for some of the new faces in town, this practice came only 24 hours after their arrival to Lac La Biche.

The majority of the on-ice session was based on scrimmage play, 5 on 5, 4 on 4, 3 on 3, 2 on 2, 1 on 2 and 1 on 1. The practice ended off with some basic drills, line rushes and a tired group of players.

Among the stand-outs was returning Voyageur Center Dustin Popowich, the 5'6 2nd year forward out of Lethbridge AB seems to have returned to the team ever quicker than he was last season. Popowich notched 19 points as a Voyageur in his first year.

Several new players were turning heads on Monday; Including former Notre Dame Hound Richard Cameron. Cameron was extremely smooth with the puck and was showing off his foot speed as he joins the Voyageurs from the SJHL.

Also making a name for himself was former Selkirk Steeler Jory Geddes, wearing a dark blue practice jersey and weaving through the defence it's no wonder Geddes tallied nearly a point per game over 61 tilts last year in the MJHL.

The Voyageurs are gearing up for their first pre-season game this Friday as the host the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL, 715 at the Bold Center.

Bulk of Voyageur roster to arrive this weekend

2011-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Portage Coach Terry Ewasiuk expects the majority of his 2011-2012 roster to arrive in Lac La Biche this Sunday, as the team prepares for its 4th ACAC season and 1st full season at the Bold Center.

The Voyageurs will have at least 12 new faces as training camp begins in the Fleming Cats perfomance arena, weeknights from 7-830. The Voyageurs will also be donating their services in the Portage Voyageurs youth hockey camp; which has grown every year since its inception at the old Centennial Arena.

When asked about his training camp expectations, Ewasiuk noted that "the rookies will be better than the veterans" as new players have been working dilligently, preparing for a new situation; while the veteran Voyageurs are aware that they have another month of time to condition themselves for the upcoming season.

The Voyageurs may not have begun practice yet, but they host the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs in 8 days at the Bold Center for their first of two pre-season games on home ice.

2012 has new faces, one from the past

2011-08-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

The 2011-2012 edition of the Voyageurs will be without two players from the innaugural season (Chris Glen, Brendan Lamb), but, the roster will gain a face that has not been with the team since that first season.

Lukas Vepy was a first year forward who came over from Slovakia and played just 21 games in his first year as a Voyageur. Vepy had one assist in his 21 games at Portage and might be best remembered as being the only Voyageur to recieve a penalty before a game had even started; Vepy remained on the ice after a warm-up and was given 2 minutes for the mis-understanding.

Lukas returns to the team after a 60 point season with a Division 2 team in Slovakia, he is a former member of the Slovakian U16 and U17 squads.

Vepy and Gerald Desjerlais will be the only two players withstanding from the 1st season in the ACAC, Desjerlais hails from nearby Buffalo Lake and has worked to earn his spot each season.

The Voyageurs will be gaining some offensive help on the blue line this season as they welcome Brent Wilson from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Wilson from Norway House MN, spent the past three seasons in the MJHL; two of which with the Swan Valley Stampeders.

Brent was the Stampeders' 2011 Playoff MVP and the won the teams' Unsung Hero award, he comes to the Voyageurs sporting a record of 99 points over the last three seasons and a rather stunning 295 minutes in the box.

Fleming Cats Arena all signed up

2011-08-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Portage College Voyageurs' home rink has been known as the Fleming Cats Performance Arena since the opening of the facility but the rink now has a nice new sign to show off the local sponsorship.

The Voyageurs kick off the pre-season against the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL on Friday August 26th.

Portage College Voyageurs 2011-2012 Sched

2011-08-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

23 days until first puck drop, new faces on their way

2011-08-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

On August 26th the Portage College Voyageurs will play their first game of the pre-season exhibition schedual as the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs roll into town for a Friday night tilt at the Bold Center.

At least 10 new Voyageurs will hit the ice that night for their first ever action in the blue and green.

Among the new faces are several former SJHL players, including two from the Battlefords North Stars; Goaltender Kyle Birch has been named as the starting netminder by Coach Ewasiuk since mid-June. The Winnipeg product started 31 games for the North Stars last season and posted a handsome .890 save percentage with a record of 16-14, the Stars were dumped in the first round of the playoffs.

Joining Birch from Battlefords is Cody Folstad, a Saskatchewan native who spent the last two seasons with the North Stars as an offensive defenseman. Folstad put up 62 points and 16 goals in his two seasons in Battlefords. He will join a defensive core that needs help on the power-play.

On the offensive side of the puck the Voyageurs are welcoming a new core of forwards to replace the likes of Chris Glen, Leo Keefer and Brendan Lamb.

One of the new forwards to Portage is Winnipegs' Jory Geddes who has spent his last five seasons of hockey playing in the MJHL. The left winger has quite the impressive stats with 139 points in 159 games over the last three campaigns, his offense will be needed to replace the scoring touch of Lamb and Glen.

More updates will be on the way before the Voyageurs kick off their 4th season in the ACAC.

New faces arriving, familiar faces depart

2011-08-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

For the first time in their short history, the Voyageurs will begin the season with a team that has only one player remaining from its innaugural season.

The Portage Voyageurs will begin their fourth season in the ACAC without two faces that have been with the team since HHOF'er Frank Mahovlich unveiled the teams' jerseys in early 2007.

Former captain Brendan Lamb will be leaving the program after three years and 67 games in the blue and green, Lamb notched 53 points in that time including 17 goals, Lamb missed most of last season after suffering a leg injury early in the campaign, he is rumoured to be joining the Voyageurs 2010 playoff rivals; the Augustana Vikings.

Another departure from Lac La Biche in the off-season was three year winger Chris Glen, the Vernon B.C product put up 31 goals over the last three seasons and was instrumental in each of the Voyageurs' three playoff appearences.

The Voyageurs are also losing a two year veteran of the program, hard-nosed forward Leo Keefer has decided to pursue his hockey career on another continent, Keefer will be joining a club in Switzerland when the season rolls around, the 5'7 winger tallied 27 points in his two years and was a former Voyageur Scholastic player of the year.

For Voyageur fans the news of the departure of a fan favorite player, is no suprise, as it happens every summer when these young men decide to pursue a new avenue in the careers, whether those careers include hockey or not, we wish them all the best in the future endeavours.

As these players solidify their positions on other teams and in other post secondary schools, the Voyageurs, and Lac La Biche, prepare to welcome a new group of players to cheer at the Bold Center.

It's a long summer for hockey fans in LLB

2011-07-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's even longer if you happen to be both a Voyageur and Oiler fan, ouch.

The ACAC's Portage College Voyageurs haven't stepped on the ice in a meaningfull capacity since February 26th, or if you prefer raw numbers; it's been 145 days since hockey fans in Lac La Biche had anything to be excited about.

But that's then and this is now and as October draws near, their is plenty of optimism from Head Coach Terry Ewasiuk as he prepares for the 4th season of Voyageurs hockey.

Possibly the best news of all is that the Coach.. is still the Coach. There was some concern about a new contract for the former ACAC Gold Medal winner as the summer got older but as of this month, Ewasiuk has inked a 2 year deal to continue coaching and recruiting for Portage College.

Ewasiuk has been busy this summer, recruiting across Canada as per usual, but with a different feel this year, as the bench boss has passed on the fact that no Junior B players have been recruited to the team; a change of pace to be certain.

With a refreshed coach, a brand new phenomenal building to house the team and a dedication to a higher level of players, it's sure to be a long winter as well.

Voyageurs bumped out of playoffs in two games

2011-02-28T10:44:00.001-08:00

For the third year in a row the Portage Voyageurs made the playoffs and were in competition against the 3rd seed in the ACAC, this year that team was the Augustana Vikings.

According to several members of the coaching staff the Voyageurs played one of their best games of the season in Camrose last Friday but were unable to come out on top, losing 5-4.

The loss forced Portage to come home and try and win game 2 on home ice.

The first period was a wash as both teams scored once, in the second frame...the Voyageurs season came to a screaming halt..as Augustana scored 5 times in the frame, eventually taking a big 8-2 win.

The Voyageurs struggled with injuries and inconsistency with scoring as they moved down the stretch missing key pieces such as Shawn Shackleton, Kyle Peden, Kris Steedsman and more, Defenceman Rod Bouchard was also injured but was able to play through the pain.

At the end of it all it's still a good season for the Voyageurs, but not good enough, after three years of the exact same result it's time for a different approach for Voyageurs head coach Terry Ewasiuk, the coach says he has plans for a bigger stonger team to insulate some of his faster smaller forwards.

I will update end of year awards for the Voyageurs and any updates on the scouting for next season.

Portage closes regular season with two losses

2011-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Portage Voyageurs went into their final two games of the regular season knowing that their position in the playoffs was sealed, their only incentive was to win both games; which would have made this edition of the Voyageurs the best statistically in their short three year history..It was not meant to be for Portage.

Injuries have been quite the problem this season as the Voyageurs have missed D-men Shawn Shackleton and Kyle Peden for many weeks, they recently lost top defender Kris Steedsman and this past weekend they were also without leading scorer Matt Foster and forward Riley Ferster.

The combination of missing players and lack of motivation added up to a less than impressive final weekend of the season.

On Friday evening in Edmonton the Voyageurs got ready to meet the NAIT Ooks, the Voyageurs were down three goals after only 1 period, Czech Jiri Prochazka had his 1st of 3 in the weekend as NAIT never let go of the lead winning 3-1.

Darryl Gagnon had the only Voyageur tally of the game.

On Saturday afternoon in LLB it didn't get much better for Portage, as they were down 2-0 after the 1st and 4-0 after the 2nd; the final score was 5-0 in favor of the Ooks who took a win away from the Bold Center crowd.

The Voyageurs gave up an un-expected three goals on the penalty kill and were extremely poor on their own man advantages, leading to the lopsidded score.

This weekend the Voyageurs open up the playoffs against Augustana in Camrose, Portage beat the Vikings twice in the last month, 4-3 and 6-5, game #2 will be in LLB saturday at 7pm

Portage splits with Briercrest, clinches final playoff spot

2011-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Voyageurs welcome the Briercrest Clippers into town after a long 10 hours bus ride from Caronport, Saskatchewan.

The Voyageurs were 4 points ahead and the weekend was sure to decide the fight for the final playoff position.

The game was off too a slow start through the first period with no scoring, in the second frame Portage potted the first goal off the stick of Chris Glen, that goal gave the Voyageurs a 1-0 lead heading into the third period.

The Clippers came into the third period knowing that losing the game would eliminate them from playoff contention, and their play showed they were well aware of their fate if they were un-able to score some goals.

Briercrest scored two quick goals to start the third and then finished off the Voyageurs with about 5 minutes remaining with the 3-1 goal, Leo Keefer scored late but Briercrest earned the victory 3-2.

While the Clippers earned the win, the Voyageurs earned the loss with their poor play in the final period.

On Saturday afternoon back at the Bold Center the Voyageurs came out with a better attitude knowing that they could once again clinch the final playoff and send the Clippers to play golf.

The Clippers came out as a energetic bunch, working on the momentum of their win the night before, Briercrest was able to score an odd goal in the 1st period as Voyageur defenseman Kris Steedsman was doubled over with an injury, leaving a Clipper alone in the slot.

The Voyageurs came back in the second frame with a better effort, scoring a goal of their own off the stick of Cory Giroux, but, once again Briercrest jumped a step ahead by scoring another goal to make it 2-1 Clippers heading into the final frame of the weekend.

Both teams came into the third period with a lot of motivation, the Voyageurs knowing a win would clinch the final playoff spot, the Clippers knowing that anything other than 2 points would end their season.

The Voyageurs scored four goals in the final period to take a rather suprising 5-2 win, Dustin Popowich had three points in the period including the goal to tie the game, he was named the Voyageurs athlete of the week.

The win gauranteed that Portage will face either Augustana or NAIT in the 1st round of the playoffs, Voyageurs play a home and home with NAIT this weekend.

Voyageurs host Mount Royal for 4 periods of hockey

2011-02-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the ACAC's second best team took the long bus ride up from Calgary to face off against the Portage Voyageurs in two games at the Bold Center, the bus ride was about all that went according to plan.

Friday's game at the Bold Center was moved to the Centennial Arena after a problem with the ice plant at the Bold Center created some unsafe ice conditions.

The Voyageurs seemed flustered by the sudden move back into their old rink and it showed on the ice as Mount Royal capitalized with two quick goals in the 1st five minutes of the game.

Voyageur netminder Dallas Ungurian looked shaky in the first few minutes but got his game together and played amazing for the remaining 55 minutes of hockey.

The Voyageurs entered the second frame down 2-0 and were looking for some momentum when finally a burst of energy appeared off the stick of Leo Keefer as he narrowed the difference to just one goal; about half-way through the second period.

The rest of the second frame was played at a feverish pace with both teams trading chances, the Voyageurs hit both posts, the crossbar; and had a puck sit on the goal-line but were un-able to even the game. The Cougars also had their fare share of chances but were shut down by Ungurian, including a glorious cross-ice opportunity that took a sprawling save from the Voyageur goalie.

Portage entered the 3rd period down 2-1 but were unable to get any closer as Mount Royak converted on a 2 on 1 and then scored again later in the period, beating Portage 4-1.

Dallas Unugurian was named Voyageur play of the game.

On Saturday, back in the Bold center, the two teams met again but were only able to play 20 minutes, a power outage just after the 1st period ended the game at 0-0, both teams are waiting to hear the solution to the postponed game from the ACAC director.

This weekend the Voyageurs host Briercrest for two games as both teams battle for a playoff spot.

Voyageurs snag 4 points from offensive juggernaut Vikings

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Portage Voyageurs split two games between Camrose and Lac La Biche; the Voyageurs were able to snag a close 4-3 victory down south and battle back to win a 6-5 overtime decision on home ice.

The Voyageurs were able to establish a physical presence in game 1, as defenceman Codie Kightley flattened Viking forward Ben Starbuck in his first shift of the game; setting the tone for a hard nosed weekend of hockey.

While the checking favored the Voyageurs early in the game, the scoreboard was controlled by Augustana as they lead 2-0 halfway through the 1st frame; Matt Foster scored a big goal to cut the lead in half through the 1st period.

In the second frame the Voyageurs were outshot but were able to score the only two goals of the period as returning captain Brendan Lamb got his 3rd of the year and Codie Kightley scored his first goal in two seasons as a Voyageur.

Augustana responded in the 3rd period with a goal mid-way through the frame, but Voyageur leading scorer Matt Foster put it away with his second goal of the night with about 5 minutes remaining.

Justin Borsa made 34 saves in the W; Foster was named Voyageurs player of the game.

Coming back into Lac La Biche saturday the Voyageurs knew they had a good chance to catch the Concordia Thunder in 5th place if they could get another 2 points.

The Voyageurs were forced once again with the task of stopping the ACAC's best man advantage, they succeeded massively as Augustana scored only one PP goal all weekend.

In the 1st frame Saturday the Voyageurs killed off a big 5 on 3 and found themselves in a 2-2 game after 20 minutes, Chris Glen and Matt Foster had the goals for the home squad.

In the middle frame Brendan Lamb was able to corral a rebound into the Augustana goal to give Portage a 3-2 lead; soon after Matt Gray added to the lead with a goal of his own, Augustana would get one back before the end of the period to make it 4-3 Voyageurs.

Augustana tied the game early in the third period and goalie Justin Borsa was replaced by Dallas Ungurian, but the momentum continued for the Vikings as they took the lead 5-4 with only 8 minutes left in the game.

Several minutes after a Portage time-out, 3 year veteran forward Gerald Desjerlais capitalized on a turnover at the blue line and was able to tie the game up at 5.

The 3rd frame ended with Voyageur Kightley in the box for a very suspicious penalty; which once again the Voyageurs were able to kill off, after exiting the box Kightley took a sweet pass from Blair Hawes and ended the game on a breakaway in dramatic fashion.

This weekend the Voyageurs host the Mount Royal Cougars for two games at the Bold Center.

Portage unable to beat league best Trojans

2011-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Voyageurs went to Calgary for their annual two games in cow-town against the SAIT Trojans.

In the first game Friday, SAIT gained themselves a 3-0 lead after the first 2 periods, The Voyageurs were able to mount a slight comeback in the final period with goals by Brendan Lamb and Chris Glen but the Trojans weren't done scoring; they added 3 more goals to their tally.

Coach Ewasiuk credited goaltender Dallas Ungurian with having a great game and making many big saves but the physical presence of the Trojans was too much for Portage as the Voyageurs lost another game against the best the ACAC has too offer.

On Saturday afternoon, once again on the SAIT campus the Voyageurs got a great start by keeping the puck out of their net and leaving the 1st period at 0-0.

The second frame was not kind to Portage as they found themselves in some penalty trouble; allowing the Trojans to score on 2-man advantage, SAIT then scored twice more in the middle frame to gain a 3-0 lead.

The Voyageurs came out for the final period with a ton of energy and it began to show on the scoreboard as they brought the game withing two goals; first, captain Brendan Lamb jammed in a loose puck in the crease before Tim Crawley scored his first ever goal as a Voyageur, from a bad angle at the side of the goal.

Several minutes later the Trojans were able to get one back on a rebound chance in the slot, the Voyageurs had a ton of pressure to try and get back within one goal but couldn't score until there was only 30 seconds left and the game was all but over; Matt Foster hammered home a shot from the point to make it 4-3, but that was as close as Portage got.

Dallas Ungurian once again made a plethora of saves in a fine effort, Crawley was named player of the game for the Voyageurs.

Portage plays a home and home with Augustana this weekend as they continue their hunt for the playoffs.

Voyageurs win first ever ACAC game at Bold Center

2011-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

It was a tough weekend back from the Holiday break as the Voyageurs were forced to play a home and home with the MacEwan Griffins, with the second game as the opening of the Bold Center.

In the first game in Edmonton the Voyageurs were able to carry a 4-2 lead into the 3rd period of play only to lose that lead; and the game by a score of 5-4.

Coach Terry Ewasiuk had mentioned that it was rather obvious that some of his players had a hard time focusing on the game knowing that the opening of the Bold Center was less than 24 hours away.

Matt Gray, Matt Foster, Chris Glen and Gerald Desjerlais had the Voyageur goals, Justin Borsa made 25 saves in a losing effort.

On Saturday evening over 1,100 Lac La Biche faithfull jammed into the brand new Bold Center to watch the Voyageurs play their first game in the new rink, and their first game on home ice in 2011.

The first two periods were very even and quite eventful as the teams were tied after both the 1st and 2nd periods, Matt Gray and Cody Mapes had the first two Voyageur goals.

In the third frame the Voyageurs were able to pull away with it, a big goal by Dustin Popowich in front of the net gave them the 3-2 lead and the home team never looked back, winning 5-2.

Cory Giroux and Matt Foster also scored, Giroux was named player of the game.

Dallas Ungurian was forced too make only 16 saves in the Portage win.

The Voyageurs head to Calgary this weekend for two games against the SAIT Trojans.

Portage loses last game before holiday break

2010-12-07T09:36:00.002-08:00

The Voyageurs had a chance to go into the Holiday break with a win as they went into Camrose on Friday to face the Augustana Vikings.

Augustana had beaten the Voyageurs 1-0 in Lac La Biche only a few weeks earlier.

The Voyaguers had a strong first period as they outshot Augustana by a tally of 20-12 but left the period down by a goal, the Voyageurs also had to powerplay chances in the first but were still down 1-0 after 20 minutes.

The second period has easily been the worst part of the game for the Voyageurs all seasons and once again the trend continued as the Vikings scored 3 more goals in the second to bring their lead to 4-1, Kirk Moore had the lone Portage goal.

In the third period the Voyageurs once again outshot their opponent but were unable to cash-in on their many opportunities.

Gerald Desjerlais scored the only Portage goal in the 3rd, his first of the season in a game that saw the Voyageurs give up 3 more goals in the 3rd and lose 7-2.

The Voyageurs play their next home game on January 8th hosting MacEwan, at the brand new Bold Center.

Portage take 2 points from Thunder

2010-11-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

In their second to last weekend of Hockey before Christmas break the Voyageurs were able to take 2 out of 4 points from Concordia, winning at home 4-1 but losing in Edmonton; 3-2.

Before the weekend series Coach Terry Ewasiuk made the decision to completely re-vamp his forwards lines, as his team had only grabbed one win in it's last seven games; The approach seemed to work for the home team as they jumped out to a lead after the first period, Cody Mapes took a quick feed from Matt Foster to open the scoring on Friday evening.

The Voyageurs scored 2 in the second frame; Shawn Shackleton netted a power-play goal before Matt Foster took advantage of 2 on 1 later in the period, Concordia's only game in the game came in the 2nd, off the stick off Andre Herman after a Voyageur turnover.

Only one goal in the 3rd period, an empty netter by Blair Hawes, Matt Foster was named player of the game with a goal and two assists.

Justin Borsa made 23 saves, his best work came with no score in the 1st.

On Saturday in Edmonton the Voyageurs attempted to do something they havent had a lot of luck with; winning on an olympic ice surface.

Jackson Wilson got Portage on the board in the 1st after potting a free puck in a scramble out front of the net, the 1st ended with a 1-1 dead-lock.

The Voyageurs took the lead in the 2nd on a goal from Cory Giroux as he notched the puck upstairs from the top of the circle, Concordia was able to manage a tying goal late; making it once again a tie game, now 2-2.

Concordia took the lead in the 3rd; Portage had many great chances to tie it up but were unable to capitalize, leaving the Thunder with a 3-2 Saturday victory,

In the last 6 games Portage has outshot it's opponents 233-177, but has only one win to show for it, The Voyageurs need to find the back of the net to improve their playoff positioning.

Voyageurs go another weekend without any points

2010-11-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

It could have been a great weekend in the standings for the Voyageurs as they were only 3 points behind the NAIT Ooks going into two games head to head.

On Friday evening at home the Voyageurs were able to get a lead in the first period even though they were out-shot and out-played in the first 20 minutes, Leo Keefer popped in a rebound to give Portage a 1-0 lead.

NAIT come out with a fury in the second frame, quickly tying up the game and shortly after adding two more goals too make it a 3-1 visitor lead; with a few minutes left Voyageur Matt Foster was able to make the best of a 2 on 1 and brought the Voyageurs within a goal.

The Ooks scored early into the third period on the man advantage sealing their victory, Voyageur Dustin Popowich scored a late goal but it wasn't enough as the Ooks took it 4-3.

Portage netminder Dallas Ungarian was spectacular making 35 saves and giving his team a chance to win.

On Saturday afternoon Portage rolled on down to Edmonton for game 2 of the weekend with the Ooks, The Voyageurs were much better to start off the game, outshooting NAIT 14-3 but it was a 1-1 tied game after 20 minutes, Taylor Morgan was the 1st period goal scorer.

The great start for the Voyageurs took an ugly turn as NAIT scored less than a minute into the 2nd period of play, The Ooks added to their lead a few minutes later to make it a 3-1 game.

In the final period the Ooks were able to notch 2 goals on 5 shots to make it a 5-1 game, Jackson Wilson had the only Voyageurs goal in the 3rd.

The Voyageurs play Concordia at home this weekend, their last games before the Christmas break.

Voyageurs split with Clippers in Saskatchewan

2010-11-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Voyageurs managed 2 of a possible 4 points this past weekend on their longest road trip of the season; Portage beat Briercrest 5-3 Friday evening but was unable to get a second win on Saturday, losing 4-1 to the ACAC's only eastern team.

On Friday evening after a long bus ride the day before, the Voyageurs got off to a great start with three goals in the first period to give them a 3-1 lead, Portage added a goal in the second period to make it 4-1 going into the third, Chris Glen then scored his second goal of the game in the final frame to give the Voyageurs some insurance.

The Clippers were able to notch two goals of their own in the third period, giving the home team some momentum heading into Saturday's game.

Cory Giroux, Matt Foster and Cody Mapes had the other goals, Justin Borsa 34 saves in a
winning effort.

On Saturday the Briercrest Clippers used their strong play in the third period the night before to get themselves a 3-0 lead after only 20 minutes, two of the three goals were score shorthanded; something the Voyageurs have not had a lot of problems with this year.

Portage did not score until the final frame when Matt Foster netted his second of the weekend.

Justin Borsa made 41 saves in the loss, The Voyageurs host the NAIT Ooks Friday at home before a Saturday game back in Edmonton.

Voyageurs looking to rebound after two losses in Calgary

2010-11-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

The team was aware heading into the weekend that their 2 game set in Calgary against the Mount Royal Cougars could be one of the toughest weekends of the schedule, it proved to be nothing less for the visiting team from Lac La Biche County as they lost both games on unfriendly ice.

The weekend was abnormal from the very start as the Voyageurs bus to Calgary left an hour and a half later than schedualed, leaving the team with less time than planned before Friday's game.

The Voyageurs were in good position to grab at least one point on Friday with 5 minutes left in the game and a 2-2 tie, Dustin Popowich and Matt Foster had scored in the first and second periods respectively.

It wasn't meant to be for the blue and green as a late Voyageur cross-checking penalty came back to haunt them as the Cougars took the lead late in the game, sealing the victory with an insurance goal a few minutes later.

Voyageur goaltender Justin Borsa was credited with 30 saves in what was credited as a excellent effort by Voyageur Coach Terry Ewasiuk.

Game 2 in Calgary was an afternoon game that saw the Voyageurs lose by a margin of 7-0.

The game started well for Portage as they had three different break-away chances but were unable to capitalize on any of them, leaving the 1st period down 1-0.

Voyageur goaltender Dallas Ungurian was relieved in the second period after the Cougars added to thier lead making it 5-0, Justin Borsa finished the game allowing two goals himself.

The Cougars outshot the Voyageurs 46-26 in the game, leaving the Portage squad to look forward to their next two games, both in Saskatchewan.

The Voyageurs play Friday and Saturday in Caronport against the Briercrest Clippers.

Voyageurs fall to Vikings in one-off

2010-11-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

There was a play-off like atmosphere on the ice at the Centennial arena on Friday night as the Augustana Vikings made their annual trip up to Lac La Biche.

The two squads were tied with 8 points each going into the game, giving some extra motivation for a win.

Neither team was able to mount any offence in the first period, as it ended 0-0, each team took several penalties but the goose-egg was not broken until the second period as Viking forward Scott Aucoin was able to put one past Voyageur goaltender Justin Borsa.

The Voyageurs had several chances to tie the game in the third period after minutes of good pressure but were unable to gain the equalizer. The Vikings took the win 1-0, Former Voyageur netminder Paul Kolida made 32 saves for the shutout.

Voyageur player of the game was once again Justin Borsa, Scott Aucion received player of the game for the Vikings.

The Voyageurs are on the road this weekend for two games in Calgary against the Mount Royal Cougars.

Voyageurs steal 3 points from league leading Trojans

2010-10-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

It was a weekend of smiles and excitement for the Portage Voyageurs; much the opposite for the visiting SAIT Trojans who managed only 1 point on thier weekend road trip.

The SAIT Trojans came into Friday's game as the only un-defeated team remaining in the ACAC; by the end of Saturday the Trojans were left re-examining their roster.

The Voyageurs controlled the 1st period of the game after an early Trojan penalty, Matt Foster notched his first goal of the game to open the scoring, Taylor Morgan and Kirk Moore also added goals in the first frame.

In the 2nd period both teams managed to sneak one over the goal line, Shane Lust had Trojans goal to make it 3-1 before Cory Giroux gave the Voyaguers their 3 goal lead back.

Only one goal in the 3rd period and it came from New Voyageur Matt Foster, making it his third point of the game, Foster was named Voyageurs player of the game with 2 goals and an assist.

Voyageur pipe-minder Justin Borsa made 28 saves in a very strong effort.

On Saturday afternoon the Trojans came back with a better effort in hopes of getting some points in their second game of the weekend in Lac La Biche, the Trojans gained a 4-3 lead in a high scoring 1st period, while the Voyageurs were forced to battle back from a 3-1 and 4-2 deficit.

Voyageur goals in the 1st came from Chris Glen(2) and Shawn Shackleton.

Both teams got a goal each in the second, too make it 5-4 SAIT heading into the third period.

With 3:08 remaining in the 3rd returning Voyageur forward Jeremy Weasel Mocasin was able to put a shot under the arm of Trojan goalie Scott Orth to make it 5-5 and send the game too overtime.

Both teams had at least one good scoring chance in the extra frame but no winner was decided.

Portage goalie Justin Borsa made a huge save half-way through the 4th period to help his team maintain the 5-5 tie, Borsa was named player of the game after relieving Dallas Ungurian in the 1st period.

Voyageurs host Augustana Friday night, 7pm; Centennial Arena.

Voyageurs take 3 points from MacEwan

2010-10-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

1st year Voyageur Matt Foster earned player of the game Friday after a goal and an assist in the Voyageurs 5-5 draw with the MacEwan Griffins.

MacEwan fought back to even up the game several times but neither club was able to notch a goal in the overtime to gain the extra point; The Voyageurs were able to kill off an overtime penalty to secure the 5-5 tie.

The Voyageurs got goals from Kyle Peden, Foster, Cory Giroux, Shawn Shackleton and Matt Gray.

Second year Voyageur goalie Shane Mainprize made 22 saves in the draw.

On Saturday in Edmonton Portage fought back from 2 goals down in the 3rd period too steal the win from MacEwan.

Chris Glen scored two goals less than 4 minutes apart in the third period to nail down the two points, the Voyageurs were able to gain momentum after big hits by Kris Steedsman and Codie Kightley.

Glen was named Voyageur player of the game, other goals came from Matt Foster and Blair Hawes.

1st year Voyageur goalie Dallas Ungurian made 29 saves for the win; The Voyaguers host the SAIT Trojans for two games in Lac La Biche this weekend.

Portage splits with Concordia in opening weekend

2010-10-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Voyageurs officially opened up their 3rd season in the ACAC this past weekend; the Concordia Thunder were their hosts in Edmonton Friday; Concorida took the win by a score of 4-2.

The Thunder lead 4-0 in the third period before the Voyageurs made it close, Cody Mapes and Cory Giroux had the Portage goals, new goaltender Dallas Ungarian made 39 saves in a losing effort.

On Friday night the Voyageurs played their home opener back in Lac La Biche and made up for their lackluster effort in Edmonton the night before. The Voyageurs lead 5-0 after the 1st period and at one point had 5 goals on 10 shots, Jackson Wilson, Taylor Morgan, Matt Gray, Matt Foster and Kyle Peden all scored in the 1st.

Portage had the lead 6-1 in the second period when the game took a turn for the ugly, Voyageur foward Jeremy Weasel Mocasin collided with Concordia forward Mackenzie Groenwegen at the side of the Thunder goal and Groenwegen was knocked unconscious; he was later taken to hospital after several quiet minutes at the rink.

Concordia responded by jumping several Voyageurs including Chris Glen, Miles Houston fought later in the second period as did Weasel Mocasin.

The Voyageurs got the win on home ice by a score of 8-5, Concordia scored three goals in the third but were never able to make it a close game, other Voyageur goals came from Kyle Peden, Leo Keefer and Taylor Morgan.

Voyageurs host MacEwan on Friday.

Voyageurs name 2010-2011 captains, prep for opening weekend.

2010-10-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the Portage Voyageurs announced that third year forward Brendan Lamb will wear the 'C' for this season, the Voyageur players voted on their team captains and Lamb was by far the voter favorite.

This years' assistant captains are; third year forward Chris Glen, second year defenceman Codie Kightley and second year forward Cody Mapes.

The Voyageurs open the season this Friday in Edmonton against the Concordia Thunder, Their home opener is this Saturday at 7pm, hosting the same Thunder team.

Don't forget you can hear all Voyageur home games online at 1035bigdog.com

Voyageurs lose final exhibition contest

2010-09-28T11:19:00.001-07:00

This past weekend the Portage Voyageurs were in Camrose for the final game of their exhibition schedule against the Augustana Vikings; It was a tough game for the Voyageurs, who were without their top two defenders, Kris Steedsman and Kirk Moore.

Portage managed to keep the game close through one period but were down several goals after the second and wound up losing the game 7-4, Chris Glen, Blair Hawes, Matt Foster and Shawn Jacklin were the Voyageur goal scorers, Glen with his first goal of the pre-season.

Augustana had the best Power-Play in the ACAC last year and proved they haven't lost their touch by scoring three man-advantage goals in the game; one of which on a 5 on 3.

The Voyageurs were forced to play a physical game against a big and strong Vikings team, Matt Gray and Kyle Peden will both miss their next game after both got into second periods fights on Friday.

The Voyageurs open their season on October 8th in Edmonton against Concordia, the home opener is Saturday October 9th as they host the same Concordia Thunder

Voyageurs drop into Edmonton for a victory

2010-09-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Your Voyageurs were 3-2 winners over the Concordia Thunder in their first game this pre-season against an actual ACAC opponent.

Concordia dominated the opening period of play in the first game between the two teams since the Thunder knocked the Voyageurs out of the playoffs last year.

New goaltender Dallas Ungurian kept the Voyageurs alive through a tough 1st period; in the 2nd Taylor Morgan tied the game up at 2-2; allowing Cody Mapes to score the game winner shorthanded in the 3rd.

Matt Gray, Taylor Morgan and Cody Mapes were the #1 forward line and tallied 7 points.

The Voyageurs expect to have injured D-Men Kirk Moore and Kris Steedsman back in the lineup for their next game, Friday September 24th against Augustana.

Voyageurs blog returns, team 1-3 in young exhibition season

2010-09-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Its been a long summer for the Portage Voyageurs and plenty has changed since their early exit from the playoffs last season.

The Voyageurs and their new players were winners in their first game of the pre-season, beating the AJHL's Oil Barons 5-2 before losing the next evening in Fort Mac; 3-1.

This past weekend the Voyageurs lost two games in Saskatchewan; one to the University of Regina, 5-1, the other was a loss to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, 8-2. Your next chance to see the Voyageurs and their new faces is October 9th, 7pm as they host the Concordia Thunder; some of the new players to Portage include..

Defenceman Kris Steedsman, formerly of the AJHL's Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Steedsman wore the 'C' for the Voyageurs only home pre-season game.

Defenceman Kirk Moore who put up 67 points last season in the SJHL

Goaltender Dallas Ungurian spent the last two seasons playing south of the border

Forward Blair Hawes spent four years with the Selkirk Steelers before making his way to Portage

Thunder strike Voyageurs out of playoffs

2010-02-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

For the second season in a row the Voyageurs met up with the Concordia Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

On Friday in Edmonton it was a close game through 2 periods of play as the Thunder held the lead by only a 2-1 margin, the 3rd period was not as close for the challengers from Lac La Biche, as the Thunder scored three un-answered goals to win game 1 by a score 0f 5-1.

Both teams made the trek up north for Saturday's game at the Centennial arena, another game that didn't go the way the Voyageurs would have hoped.

The Thunder scored three goals in the first period, including one on the man advantage to put them up 3-0.

By the third period it was a 5-0 lead for the Concordia Thunder, the Voyageurs were able to climb back a bit but ran out of time and saw their season end on home ice.

Chris Glen and Cody Mapes had the two goals in the third for Portage to close the gap.

Concordia wins the 3 game series in 2 games, 5-1 and 5-2.

Voyageurs combine for 10 goals over Briercrest

2010-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

On the last weekend before the playoffs begin, the Voyageurs thumped Briercrest for a combined score of 10-1 over two games.

Shane Mainprize got the shut-out on Friday night at home in 4-0 win, Colin Port(2), Chris Glen and Brock Munro had the goals in a game that turned out to be rather un-eventful.

On Saturday afternoon the Briercrest squad had a better effort early, but that evaporated quickly with two Voyageur goals from Cody Mapes and Taylor Morgan in the 1st period.

Matt Gray and Chris Glen each had a PP goal in the 2nd.

Gray had another goal in the 3rd period, as did Brendan Lamb, The Voyageurs took it 6-1, Scott Orth's shut-out was broken late in the 3rd on a goal by Luke Robitaille.

The Voyageurs will now head to Edmonton to open the play-offs against Concordia on Friday, Game 2 goes Saturday at 7pm at the Centennial.

Weekend Notes:

- Ian Hall broke his collarbone early Saturday, that is it for his season and likely his career as a Voyageur.

Portage gets a split with Augustana

2010-02-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

The Augustana Vikings were up in Lac La Biche this weekend for two games at the Centennial arena.

The Vikings were able to grab a 3-0 win on Friday, Our Voyageurs were able to come back with a good effort on Saturday and win 5-2.

The Portage offensive was almost non-existant on Friday as the Vikings were able to bury an empty netter goal for the 3-0 win, Former Voyageurs goaltender Paul Kolida was able to get the shutout against his old team.

On Saturday the Voyageurs offence showed up for the game and they were able to take a 2-1 lead after the 2nd period, Chris Glen had the 1st goal and Taylor Morgan broke it open in the 2nd period with a big goal.

The 3rd period was all Voyageurs as Colin Port and Josh Collins scored questionable goals on Paul Kolida, Brock Munro sealed the deal with an empty netter.

Scott Orth got the win Saturday, Evan Kurylo was good in the loss Friday.

Weekend Notes:

- Spencer Brooks played defence in both games and was player of the game on Friday

- The Voyageurs clinched a playoff spot with their win Saturday

Voyageurs - Ooks, trade wins in home rinks, Saturday gets ugly

2010-02-01T09:16:00.001-08:00

This past weekend the Voyageurs got themselves 5 points ahead of the MacEwan Griffins with a win on Saturday night.

NAIT took the first tilt in Edmonton 2-1, but the Voyageurs were flying on Saturday and notched a dominant 5-1 victory.

Brock Munro had the only Voyageur goal on Friday, Shane Mainprize 25 saves in a losing cause.

On Saturday night in LLB Portage got out to an early lead in the 1st period thanks to a big goal by Matt Gray.

The Voyageurs added to their lead in the 2nd with power-play goals from Chris Glen and Brock Munro.

Cody Mapes had a goal to open the third period on a very nice play by Matt Gray to steal the puck from Ook goalie Graeme Harrington.

After that play the whole game went into the toilet, it all started with some pushing and shoving behind the Voyageurs net between Jiri Prochazka and Chad Plouffe, the pair were seperated and the officials took due time to try and sort out penalties.

During this break, Brendan Lamb took a tomahawk-stick swing to the face from NAIT forward Payton Proskurniak, this lead to a near line brawl as Ryan Hill dropped the gloves with Proskurniak and Captain Dallas Jackson went toe to toe with Ook defender Brad Sinclair.

Later in the third period Ook forward Brandon Anderson was booted after jumping Voyageur forward Matt Gray, Ook Steven Pratt also was tossed after some choice words for the officals.

After all the rage had settled, NAIT got on the board with a quick Topilko goal, right after that Ian Hall got a goal right in front of the net, his first point in 8 games.

Voyageurs lose both games to Concordia in probable playoff preview

2010-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

On Friday night on home ice the Voyageurs attempted to keep their strong play going against the Concordia Thunder after a big win over SAIT the weekend previous.

Concordia was ready to play on Friday and opened up the scoring in the first minute on a goal by Andre Herman.

The Voyageurs were down 5-1 heading into the third period but were able to fight back and make it a one goal game thanks to goals by Colin Port, Brendan Lamb, Taylor Morgan and Cody Mapes.

In the final minutes of the 3rd frame, Thunder forward Brendon Macdonald scored to finish off the Voyageurs, Concordia took it 6-4.

On Saturday, In Edmonton, it was much of the same for the Voyageurs on the big ice surface.

Concordia another early lead and were eventual winners 5-2.

Weekend Notes:

- Scott Orth was pulled from Fridays game and did not play Saturday(illness), Evan Kurylo started Saturday in Edmonton.

- Jarvis Ducharme was tossed on Friday after dropping his gloves.

- Voyageurs play in Edmonton Friday, and host NAIT at home on Saturday.

Portage beats SAIT for 1st time in history

2010-01-18T11:32:00.001-08:00

Taylor Morgan had what may go down as one of the biggest goals in earlier Voyageur history on Friday night.

At the end of the 2nd, it was 3-3, each team scored a PP goal in the 1st and each team also had two more man-advantage goals in the 2nd.

Miles Houston had two of those early Voyageur goals, Mick Pawlyshyn netted the other.

Taylor Morgan scored with less than two minutes remaining on Friday, Brock Munro tipped the puck up to Morgans' stick right in front of the net.

Scott Orth made 28 saves in the winning goal, Shane Lust and Geoff Rollins(2) had the Friday goals for SAIT.

Saturday was a different game with a lot of intensity, less penalties and more cheap stuff.

The two teams were tied 1-1 after the 1st, before the Trojans potted three goals in the 2nd period to lead 4-1.

Colin Port had two more goals in the 3rd but it wasn't enough, Clay Goodall scored late in the 3rd on the man advantage to stop the Voyageurs from getting any closer.

Scott Orth made 36 saves in a losing cause.

Weekend Notes:

- Matt Gray left the game Saturday after the 2nd with a bruised "lower body injury"

- Colin Port had a hat-trick on Saturday

- Ian Hall was once again held pointless

- Scott Orth is the Voyageur player of the week(again)

- Miles Houston had his first two goals as a Voyageur after missing the first half of the season.

Portage slips past MacEwan, prepares for SAIT

2010-01-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Voyageurs were winners of an 8-6 tilt last Friday over the MacEwan Griffins.

Both teams were tied for points going into the 1st game for both squads following Xmas break.

MacEwan opened the scoring but the Voyageurs came back and controlled most of the game, fending off the Griffins everytime they tried to get back into it.

Brendan Lamb had a hat-trick in the big win and was also credited with the game-winning goal in the 3rd period.

Dexter Hamilton and Mike Fiorillo each had multiple point games for MacEwan who were unable to keep up with the Voyageurs scoring pace.

Leo Keefer, Matt Gray, Chris Glen and Cody Mapes(2) had the other goals Friday.

Scott Orth made 24 saves for the win but was not overly great in his 1st game in about a month.

Weekend Notes:

- Ian Hall was held pointless in the game

- Portage had 2 power-play goals in the contest

- The Voyageurs now prepare to host the SAIT Trojans, games at 7 on Friday and 3 Saturday.

Voyageurs thump Lumberjacks in Exhibition play

2009-12-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Dakota college at Bottineau Lumberjacks were in Northern Alberta this weekend too play two games at the centennial arena.

The small team from North Dakota was able to pull out to a 2-1 lead on Friday before the Voyageurs made it 2-2 and eventually overtook the lead in the 3rd period to win 7-2.

After Jarvis Ducharme made it 2-2 on a PP goal, the Voyageurs got 5 straight goals in the third, tallies came from, Chris Glen(2), Matt Gray, Cody Mapes and Ryan Hill.

Cody Mapes had the 1st Portage goal Friday, Shane Mainprize made 23 saves for the win.

On Saturday afternoon the Voyageurs jumped all over the Lumberjacks, scoring 7 goals in the 3rd to prevail 10-3.

The Voyageurs got goals from Ian Hall(2), Brock Munro(2), Gerald Desjerlais, Leo Keefer, Colin Port, Brendan Lamb, Cody Mapes.

Evan Kurylo got the win in goal Saturday.

Weekend Notes:

- Voyageurs play next on January 8th at home, hosting MacEwan

Voyageurs split on the road

2009-12-07T11:13:00.001-08:00

Our Portage Voyageurs were able to take a 7-3 victory over the Augustana Vikings on Friday night in Camrose, the Voyageurs scored 3 goals in the 1st period to put themselves ahead of the home Vikings.

This weekend was the first time Portage had a full 20-man roster in a few weeks and they made it count.

Cody Mapes had a pair, other Voyageur goals came from, Chris Glen, Brock Munro, Ian Hall, Taylor Morgan and Daryl Gagnon. Scott Orth made 18 saves for the win Friday night.

On Saturday the Voyageurs travelled down to Leduc to play the MacEwan Griffins, a team they will be competing all year with for the final playoff position.

The Griffins got out to an early lead and were able to hold it for the remainder of the matchup, winning 4-3 on home ice.

Daryl Gagnon, Jarvis Ducharme and Taylor Morgan had the tallies for Portage; Scott Orth made 30 saves in a losing effort.

The Voyageurs next home games are Dec 18th and 19th as they host Bottineau for 2 exhibition games.

The next game where points matter on home ice for Portage is January 8th as they host the same MacEwan Griffins.

Cougars take two in LLB

2009-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

The league leading Mount Royal Cougars found their way down to Lac La Biche this past weekend for 2 games in 2 days at the Centennial arena.

Friday night did not start well for the home Voyageurs as MRC got out to a 4-0 lead in the first half of the opening frame, the Cougars got their goals from Matt Lamirande, Cole Geddes, Brendan Turnbull(PP) and Coleton Thielmann.

Voyageur goaltender Evan Kurylo started the game but was yanked after allowing 4 goals on only 16 shots in the first period.

Scott Orth came into the goal and gave the Voyageurs some life as they scored late in the 1st period and kept the game quiet in the second period until the Voyageurs scored again on the man advantage.

Orth made a massive save in the second, stacking the pads to keep it a 2 goal game.

The Voyageurs came out in the third and got another power-play goal but it was not enough as Cougar forward Barry Horman scored mid-way through the third to bury the Voyageurs.

Taylor Morgan had 2 goals for Portage, the other went to Cody Mapes. Scott Orth made 23 saves on 24 shots in relief.

On Saturday afternoon the Voyageurs were looking for some redemption and they started out well; Taylor Morgan got Portage the lead in the 1st with assists going to Lamb and Munro.

The 2nd period was all Mount Royal, the Cougars scored three un-answered goals to help them to 4-1 win.

Carey Koroluk, Barry Horman, Joe Vetere and Eric Galbraith had the Cougar tallies.

The Voyageurs play two games this weekend, one in Camrose on Friday for a tilt with the Vikings, the other in Leduc against MacEwan.

Weekend Notes:

- Voyageurs D-man Ryan Hill did not play Saturday after being cut with a high-stick, he needed several stitches on his toungue following the game

- Voyageur defender Joshua Collins left Saturday's game for an undisclosed reason

- The Cougars third goal in the 2nd period on Saturday was scored by Joe Vetere with no time remaining on the clock, the official game sheet says the goal was scored with 1 second left, there was no faceoff following the goal.

Big Friday win kills losing streak

2009-11-23T12:15:00.003-08:00

The Voyageurs were able to end their 7 game losing streak on Friday evening with a huge 9-4 victory on the road over Briercrest.

Brendan Lamb and Leo Keefer each had 2 goals for Portage in the big effort as they notched their 5th and 6th points in the regular season standings.

Other Portage goals on Friday came from Brock Munro, Cody Mapes, Chris Glen, Matt Gray and Taylor Morgan.

Briercrest managed 3 goals of their own in the 2nd period on Friday, it was not enough as the Voyageurs took their first in seven games.

On Saturday the rink was tilted towards the road side of the ice, with Scott Orth giving up 5 goals in a 5-3 loss.

Orth made only 17 saves as the Voyageurs ended the weekend with a loss.

Dan Nadeau, Leo Keefer and Brock Munro had the Voyageur goals.

Weekend Notes:

-With a ton of injuries and several non-health related problems, the Voyageurs were down to only 15 skaters and 4 defenseman on Friday, after 2 injuries in that game, they played with 13 skaters on Saturday

-Ian Hall has been given the green-light from the doc, may play soon

-This upcomming weekend sees the boys from LLB host the top team in the league, the Mount Royal Cougars, the Cougars hold a 20 point lead in the standings over Portage.

Loss in Camrose makes it 7 in a row

2009-11-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Portage Voyageurs left town Friday afternoon hoping to come away with at least a point in a big game against the Augustana Vikings.

But once again their efforts were not enough as Augustana took the game 6-4.

The Vikings scored in the first period and came back in the second with 5 more goals, Viking forward Quinn Amiel had 4 goals in the game to help lead his squad to their 7th victory of the season, the Voyageurs put up 3 goals of their own in the third but it wasn't enough to grab a much needed win.

Joshua Collins scored 2 goals and Cody Mapes and Colin Port had the other tallies in the losing cause.

It was another case of a game that should have been won by Portage, they outshot Augustana 36-28 and were and amazing 76% on the faceoff dot.

This upcomming weekend sees the Voyageurs travelling to Saskatchewan to play two games against Briercrest.

Weekend notes:

- Ian Hall did not play once again

- The Voyageurs were 0-6 on the man advantage

- MacEwan passed Portage in the standings after two wins over Briercrest

Loses to NAIT make it 6 in a row

2009-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Voyageurs dropped both games to the NAIT Ooks this past weekend, losing at home 6-3 and on the road by a tally of 9-2.

On Friday at home the Voyageurs were in the game until a third period goal by Steven Pratt to make it 5-3, Brett Peppler had a hat-trick for the Ooks and was also named the player of the game.

Shane Mainprize started that game, but did not finish after giving up 3 goals on 8 shots.

Chris Glen had two power-play goals in the game, Matt Gray had the other Voyageur tally.

On Saturday in Edmonton it only got uglier for the Voyageurs as the lost 9-2, Brett Peppler and Jeff Topilko each had a hat-trick in the game, Payton Proskurniak also had two goals.

Colin Port and Taylor Morgan had the goals from LLB as they Voyageurs lost for the 6th time in a row.

The Voyageurs line-up has been hurting with the following players missing at least one of the weekends' games; Ian Hall, Chad Plouffe, Mick Pawlyshyn, Reid Mitchell, Spencer Brooks and Codie Kightley.

This weekend Portage looks for it's first win since a 4-3 win over MacEwan on October 17th.

The Voyageurs play only one game this weekend, in Camrose against the 6-3-1 Vikings

Voyageurs now losers in 4 straight games

2009-11-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

Once again it was a story of close but not close enough for the Portage Voyageurs as they failed to get any points in the final weekend of the October schedual.

The Voyageurs were in Edmonton Friday night for another game on the big ice against Concordia, The game was tied heading into the third period but the penalties started adding up against Portage.

Concordia's Kyle MacDonald had two goals in the game as his team captured a 5-3 win over Portage, the Thunder scored an empty netter late in the game.

Ian Hall scored two on Friday, Brendan Lamb had the other and Shane Mainprize made 43 saves in a losing effort.

Head Coach Terry Ewasiuk was less than pleased with the officiating after the game, the Voyageurs were down 2 men several times against Concordia and had previous problems last season with the same ACAC referee who will remain un-named.

On Saturday night back on home ice the Voyageurs had a hard time from the start of the game, spending most of the evening in the penalty box. Concordia scored three goals - including two on the power-play - in the first to help propel them to an eventual 4-2 win.

Thunder Defenceman Andrew Willigar was Concordia's player of the game Saturday, as he notched a big power-play tally in the 1st.

The Voyageurs spent most of the rest of the game killing penalties, taking some time in between for Chris Glen to score a power-play goal in the second, Gerald Desjerlais had the other Portage goal.

Ian Hall and Codie Kightley both left Saturdays' game with injuries, updates when available.

Portage stats through 6 games

2009-10-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Voyageurs drop two close games in Calgary

2009-10-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

It was a tough weekend down south for the Voyageurs as they got close in both games but were unable to come away with any points. The Trojans got ahead in the first Friday and were able too hold a 2-1 win, on Saturday afternoon the squad from LLB were ahead for much of the game but squandered a 5-3 lead and eventually lost 7-5.

Voyageur goaltender Scott Orth was solid throughout the weekend making 66 saves between the two games.

On Friday all the games goals were scored in the first period, the Voyageurs came close with a goal that was disallowed late in the game due to the net being off its moorings. Reid Mitchell scored the lone Voyageur goal.

Saturday's game was one the Voyageurs may look back at for some time, Portage was ahead by 2 goals several times in the game and was never to finish off the Trojans. Ian Hall had 2 big points in the second as Portage scored 3 goals in about 5 minutes; Including Leo Keefers first as a Voyageur, but SAIT was able to keep it close.

The third period was all Trojans as the home squad scored 3 unanswered goals and walked away with another win over the Voyageurs.

Brendan Lamb, Brock Munro and Gerald Desjerlais added tallies on Saturday.

Weekend Notes:

- SAIT Coach Ken Babey celebrated his 400th ACAC win Friday

- Saturday's game saw the Trojans pull starting goaltender Niesner in the second

- Ian Hall left the ice Saturday after an apparent knee to the face, SAIT forward Clay Goodall was ushered off the ice after the play

- The Voyageurs play at home on the 31st, 7pm Halloween night, hosting Concordia

Voyageurs ready to take on Trojans

2009-10-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Portage will jump on this bus Friday for a long trip down to cow-town, the SAIT Trojans welcome the Voyageurs in this 3rd weekend of the regular season.

The two teams will meet Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 2pm.

The two time defending champion Trojans are 3-1 so far in the young season and are yet to play the Voyageurs in the pre or regular season this year.

You can listen to the games on the Trojan's local broadcast, http://radio.sait.ca/

The next Voyageurs home game is Halloween night, at 7pm as Portage hosts Concordia.

Portage gets back too .500 with 2 wins

2009-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Portage Voyageurs were able to beat the MacEwan Griffins in two big games this past weekend, winning 4-1 on home ice Friday and 4-3 Saturday in Edmonton.

Friday night was the first home game of the season for the Voyageurs, but it was the Griffins who struck first, Mike Fiorillo scored in the first period on the Power-play to get MacEwan up 1-0 before Spencer Brooks added a short-handed tally for the home squad.

Cody Mapes had two goals, including the game winner, Chris Glen also added a third period goal.

Voyageurs starter Scott Orth made big saves when needed, including one at the end of the 2nd and another at the start of the 3rd.

On Saturday night the Voyageurs were able to jump off the bus and onto a victory as they dropped the same Griffins 4-3, Second year goalie Evan Kurlyo made 32 saves in the win as the Voyageurs were out-shot on the road.

Reid Mitchell, Matt Gray, Chris Glen and Ian Hall had the Portage goals.

The Voyageurs have a tough test this weekend, as they trek down to Calgary to face-off with the 2-time defending champs, the SAIT Trojans.

Voyageurs open season with losses in Calgary

2009-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Portage Voyageurs didn't have a lot of luck this past weekend in Calgary, as they dropped two contests with the Mount Royal Cougars, 3-0 and 5-1.

Cougar forward Ernie Stewart had a hat-trick in the first game of the weekend as the Cougars rolled to a 3-zip win, on Saturday, Chris Glen had the only Voyageur goal in a 5-1 loss.

Voyageurs goaltender Scott Orth started both games and made 64 saves in two games.

Orth will start again for the Voyageurs on Friday night when they host MacEwan.

Players vote on new team captains

2009-10-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week the Voyageurs coaching staff had the team vote who they believed would make the best Captain and assistants.

The list goes as follows..

Captain - Dallas Jackson
A - Ian Hall
A - Brendon Lamb
A - Chris Glen

All four players were voted into their positions unanimously.

The votes show how this team 'gets it', all four captains are second year players who played large roles in last years' stretch run to the post-season.

Voyageurs split with Concordia in final Exhibition weekend

2009-10-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Portage Voyageurs were able to take one of two games from the Concordia Thunder this past weekend as the ACAC prepares for another season of exciting hockey.

The Thunder were 4-1 winners in Edmonton Friday, thanks to two goals from forward Brendon Macdonald, Spencer Brooks had the only goal of the game for the Voyageurs.

On Saturday at home the Voyageurs were able to climb back from several defecits to beat the Thunder 6-3, Concordia's Andre Herman had two goals in the game and LLB's own Matt Rogers scored a power-play goal but it wasn't enough as the Voyageurs clawed back in the third, Brock Munro had 2 goals and 3 points and Spencer Brooks scored a big goal tying goal.

Gerald Desjerlais, Matt Gray and Darryl Gagnon had the other Portage goals.

It was a penalty filled affair Saturday, the Voyageurs going 1/8, the one power-play goal of the game was Brook's big goal in the third period to tie the game.

Voyageurs Goaltender Scott Orth made 24 saves in the victory.

Weekend Notes

-Both teams scored shorthanded goals in Saturday's game(Munro, Herman)

-The Voyageurs open the regular season this weekend in Calgary against the Mount Royal Cougars.

Voyageurs win NAIT tourney, not without a cost

2009-09-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Voyageurs were the big winners at the NAIT tourney this weekend, with three wins in three days.

The action opened with a monstrous 9-1 win over the Briercrest Clippers, Brock Munro had 4 points for the blue and green while forwards Darryl Gagnon, Jarvis Ducharme, Colin Port and Kevin Hanna all added goals of their own.
6'5 Former Defenceman Spencer Brooks showed how he can use his size to his advantage, netting two goals in the first of three games. Evan Kurylo was not tested much before the third period, where he made 15 saves to help preserve the win.

On Saturday the Voyageurs won a 9-7 shootout with the MacEwan Griffins.
Brock Munro had another big game with 5 points and his line-mate Colin Port did not disappoint with a hattrick.
Other goals came from Spencer Brooks(2), Matt Gray and Ian Hall.

Sunday brought forth another game with the Augustana Vikings, the Voyageurs seeking some revenge after a 7-6 loss on home ice the week previous.
The Voyageurs were able to win the game 5-2 thanks to a hattrick from Taylor Morgan, Cody Mapes also had 3 points in the victory.
Scott Oorth made 33 saves in the win.

Weekend notes

- 2nd year Voyageurs forward Chris Glen suffered an injury in Saturdays' game, he will be evaluated during the week, Glen did not play Sunday.

- The Voyageurs Athlete of the week is Brock Munro; Munro had 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points and was +8 this weekend.

Summer is too long

2009-09-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

Voyageur Hockey is finally back!

Hello and welcome to the first of many blog posts for this hockey season.

The Voyageurs have had a promising pre-season, winning 3 of their 4 games before the start of their first ever exhibition tournament at the Centennial.

The Boys won back to back 2-1 games over the Fort Mac Oil Barons to open the Exhibition schedual and were able to take a 7-3 victory over MacEwan before a 4-2 loss to the NAIT Ooks.

Last weekends "1, 2 Canoe tournament" should be considered as a success for the team as they played well in each game, earning themselves victories on both Friday and Sunday.

Ian Hall and Dan Nadeau both scored important goals Friday night to help the team to 5-1 win on Friday over the Griffins, Paul Kolida and Evan Kurylo split the netminding duties, both of whom making quality saves in their time between the pipes.

Saturday's game against the Augustana was easily the most exciting game of the weekend with plenty of hitting and nasty words exchanged, both teams were hard on the puck and hard on each other. The Vikings were able to score one too many goals from the blue line and eventually downed the Voyageurs by a tally of 7-6. This was the only game of the weekend where the Voyageurs were outshot, Shane Mainprize made 35+ saves in a losing effort.

Sunday afternoon brought the Voyageurs to the rink to faceoff with their out-of-province guests at the tournament; Simon Fraser University, who rode the bus for a lovely 20 hours to get into the artic circle on Friday. SFU was able to make it a close game in the second by scoring 2 quick goals to make the score 4-4, Brendan Lamb had a third period tally that helped the Voyageurs to a 7-4 victory over the team from BC.

Former Kootenay Ice goaltender Scott Oorth got the W in Sundays matchup.

Weekend Notes

- 2nd year Voyageur Gerald Desjerlais was at the rink for all three games but did not dress this past weekend.

- Brendan Lamb was booted from Saturdays game withing minutes after an early checking from behind penalty

- Ian Hall was tossed on Sunday after introducing an SFU players face to the glass, he was escorted off the ice with less than a minute to go in the game.