Fort McMurray’s Estian Coetzee scored his first two AJHL goals against his hometown team and helped lead his Camrose Kodiaks to a 5-1 win, handing the Oil Barons another loss in the tenth game of the season.
Coetzee was great, a big bodied winger that played with grit and converted on his opportunities when they presented themselves. The Oil Barons didn’t have much of an answer to the Kodiak’s size and speed up front getting hemmed in the defensive zone for long stretches, although they did outshoot Camrose 28-25. The Kodiaks also got goals from TJ Brown, Scott Ferguson and PJ Marrocco.
As in any game with a young team the coaching staff was still able to find some positives. “We did a lot of good things tonight our energy was up our young guys played well. IT’s a classic case of a young team we make a mistake and it’s in our net,” said MOB Assistant Coach Mike Brodeur. “That’s what it came down to, I think they just had an older lineup and we had a young group and there were a lot of positive things tonight.”
Two Oil Barons players got sick of being nailed into the walls repeatedly, as 5’9, 165 lb Mitchell Torrens took on 6’2, 210 lb Nelson Gaudry and won his fight. Cody Hodgson dropped the mitts in a flurry with Cam Gotaas after he caught Shawn Weber off-guard.
“It was awesome to see Torrens and Hodgson stepping up when we’re getting beat up on the ice, they’re running us and they stepped up and you just stick up for your family, you’re brothers.”
Eric Szudor had an average night between the pipes, but didn’t get a whole lot of help from his teammates as he stopped just 20 of 25 shots. The long Oil Barons goal came from Isaac Ceh on the power-play, his first of the season.
Of course the Oil Barons are still searching for their first win of the season and will look to scoop up two points against Bonnyville Tuesday night at the Casman Centre.
“I think we just need to stay positive and look at the good things we did tonight and keep working hard. We’re just getting better every night so we’re gonna find a way to do it here eventually I believe,” said Brodeur.
Article courtesy of mymcmurray.com.