The Swan Valley Stampeders suffered their first back-to-back losses of the season, pushing them down in the Standings. The team has certainly had a bad couple of weeks against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Swan Valley dropped a pair of games over the weekend, losing 5-2 Friday, Oct. 30 and 5-4 Saturday, Oct. 31. Swan Valley entered the four game mini-series against the Wolverines sitting 4-0, first overall in the Northwest Division in the MJHL, but fell mightily to Wayway. Not only have they dropped three out of their four games to the Wolverines, the team did so without Jackson Betcher and Jayce Nikbakt Saturday night due to suspensions from a melee Friday night.
In case you missed it, the Stampeders home win streak was snapped Friday night at the hands of the Wolverines. Dylan Black got the start in goal and despite the loss, played exceptionally well between the pipes to keep his team in the game. Swan Valley never really got going in the contest and played from behind the entire game. Rayman Bassi kicked things off early in the first, and sealed the game with an empty netter late in the third period, claiming their fourth win of the year.
The Stampeders flipped the script for the first period only Saturday night in Waywayseecappo. Noah Fladager, Carter Cockburn and Cody Barnes scored in the opening frame but the offence seemed to stall from there. The Wolverines power play came alive and scored three times over the course of the second and third periods to claim their second win of the weekend, fifth of the year, and leapfrogged the stampeders for first overall in the division.
The Stampeders have several highly gifted players that can score, and in bunches as we have seen. But that offence sputtered a bit as the team scored six goals Friday and Saturday combined. What hurt the team was keeping them out of their own net. Penalty trouble and defensive break downs caused numerous chances that resulted in goals against.
The “Three Stars of the Week” is brought to you by Paull Funeral Home & Crematorium, and will be awarded week-to-week with points being collected throughout the season. The top three will players will be recognized at the end of the season.
Three stars point system is as follows:
1st Star = 3 points
2nd Star = 2 points
3rd Star = 1 point
Check back every Monday for the Paull Funeral Home & Crematorium, Three
Stars of the week.
THREE STARS (October 25 – November 1)
3rd Star
Carter Cockburn remains this week’s third star recipient. The Swan River, MB product picked up a goal and an assist Saturday night in Waywayseecappo in a 5-4 loss. Since returning to the lineup, Cockburn has continually found the score sheet. The 19-year-old now sits sixth overall in team scoring with two goals, adding four assists in five games.
2nd Star
Callum Fortin makes his first appearance on this list this season, after a gutsy performance against the Wolverines on Saturday. The 18-year-old from Souris, MB is in his second year with the team, scoring a goal and added an assist in a losing cause Saturday night. In eight games with the Stamps’ this season, Fortin has collected three goals and two assists.
1st Star
Brad Fortin has only played two games with the Stampeders so far this season, but brought his A game in a pair of losses over the weekend. The 18-year-old was signed by Head Coach and General Manager Barry Wolff last week to spark the offence and keep it consistent night in and night out. Fortin scored his first and second goals as a Stampeder on Friday night in a 5-2 loss to the Wolverines. The 6’0” 165 lbs Langley, BC was held off the score sheet Saturday night in Wayway but his speed, skill and hard work propelled him to be this week’s first star.
The Stampeders will try to regroup this week and await word on how the next two games will be played out. Swan Valley’s next two scheduled games are supposed to be in Selkirk this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6 and 7). With the Code Red being put in place by the Health Officials in the Province the verdict is still out. Follow along on all social media platforms for an update on that situation as it unfolds.
STANDINGS (Point Leaders)
4 – Haydn Delorme
4 – Alex Danis
3 – Mikael Foucher
2 – Noah Fladager
2 – Jackson Zloty
2 – Quinn Mulder
1 – Carter Cockburn