Fort McMurray opened a four games in five nights road trip, with a midweek split versus Drumheller and Olds. Ryan Arnold tallied his first career hat trick, Kasey Fuson earned his first win in the AJHL, while Jaxen Gauchier and Lucas McDonald chipped in with three points each over the pair of games.
Despite erasing a pair of Drumheller leads, the Oil Barons couldn’t get a bounce and they dropped Tuesday’s game 4-3. Rowan McDonald opened the scoring for the Dragons 2:05 into the game with a snipe over the glove of affiliated goaltender Sergio Davidson. It was an AJHL debut to remember for Davidson, as the Calgary product made several highlight reel saves, beginning a glove snag on Tristan Payne late in the first period. Fort McMurray got the equalizer early in the second period. After a missed deflection but Evan Benoit, Jaxen Gauchier jammed home the loose puck for his sixth goal of the year. Drumheller restored their advantage a little more than halfway through the period. Jackson DeGraves threw the puck through the middle of the ice, where Dallin Antos snapped home his first career AJHL goal. The Oil Barons responded. After a great force play by Gauchier, Ryan Arnold took off on a shorthanded breakaway. The veteran forward slid the puck through Brandon Williams, tying the game at 2-2. Drumheller broke the deadlock early in the third period. Bradley Gallo smacked home his first goal since October 4th, making it 3-2. The St Albert product then got his second goal of the game to extend the Dragons lead late in the game. Fort McMurray didn’t go away. With the goalie pulled, Benoit poked home his first career AJHL goal, bringing the MOB within one. However, the Oil Barons couldn’t get the equalizer and Drumheller held on to snap their six game losing streak.
Wednesday’s game opened with a sloppy, scoreless first period. Neither team controlled the puck and passes were off the mark. In the second, the Oil Barons found their groove. Leo Adams opened the scoring. Just as an Olds penalty expired, Cade Petersen picked out the Gander, Newfoundland product, and Adams snapped his five game point drought. Shortly afterwards, Fort McMurray extended their lead. While on the power-play, a centering pass from Drew Freer went off a defender and through the legs of Connor Johnson, for the captain’s fifth goal of the year. Another power-play marker by the MOB made it 3-0. This time, Ryan Arnold unleashed a wrist shot that found its way through a crowd for his team leading 12th goal of the season. Late in the period, the Grizzlys clawed their way onto the scoreboard. A Sean Richards wrist shot went off the end of the glove of Kasey Fuson and into the net, making it 3-1. Arnold wrestled momentum back onto the Oil Barons side. Racing away on a 3-on-1, Arnold snapped a shot bar-down on Johnson, for his second goal of the game. Olds came out flying in the third period. Less than two minutes in, Ryder Riedel deflected home his first career AJHL goal off a Brendan Thomas point shot, cutting Fort McMurray’s lead to 4-2. Then Jordin St Louis cashed in with a power-play goal to make it a one goal game. Tensions began to build through the period with the Oil Barons holding onto a narrow lead. It was the MOB who would find some insurance. While on a 5-on-3 power-play, Lucas McDonald stuffed home his second goal of the season, putting the Barons up 5-3. Ryan Arnold capped off his first career hat trick with a shorthanded goal on an empty net, and Fort McMurray doubled up Olds 6-3.
The road trip continues for the Oil Barons this week. After a day off, they will take on the Canmore Eagles on Friday, before visiting Calgary on Saturday.
