Parkland squad look ahead to mid-week game
The Parkland Rangers welcomed the Pembina Valley Hawks to the CUP in Dauphin this weekend for a pair of games that could play a key role in the second half playoff race. The Hawks entered the weekend in seventh place, two points clear of the ninth place Rangers. After the clubs split the weekend series, the Rangers find themselves sitting in tenth place, one point adrift of the Norman North Stars who hold down the final playoff position.
Saturday night promised to be a big night at the CUP with both the Rangers and Hawks coming off a weekend of solid play in Winnipeg. Both clubs slipped past the Winnipeg Bruins last weekend and dropped hard-fought affairs to the Winnipeg Thrashers. Chase Glover got the nod in goal for the home team while Bryson Yaschyshyn started for the guests. Alex Campbell opened the scoring just three minutes into the game when he carried the puck down the left side and ripped a wrist shot over Yaschyshyn’s glove hand. Cam Sarna and Tavyn Botychuk picked up helpers on the goal. The Rangers couldn’t make the lead stand up until the intermission though as Kam Thomas scored a power play goal with just twenty ticks left on the clock. Five minutes into the second frame Thomas scored a nearly identical power play goal to nudge PV in front. The lead was short-lived thanks to Sarna who pounced on a loose puck and rammed it through the five-hole to level the scores at two apiece. Boychuk and Andrew Pidskalny picked up assists on Sarna’s sixth goal. With six minutes remaining in the second frame it was Hayden Seib’s turn to push Parkland in front. Ryder Gardner picked up a loose puck in the Rangers zone and hit Seib with a breakaway pass, the veteran making no mistake as he snapped a low shot through Yaschyshyn’s pads. The Rangers were unable to see out the frame without one more twist though. Sam Delaquis picked up a rebound and buried it over Glover to knot the score with just thirty seconds remaining in the second period. The final frame was tight checking but big Ryzlie Nepinak played the hero for the Rangers when he scooped up a rebound off the end boards and rammed it home with just over nine minutes remaining. Nathan Miller and Campbell capped off strong performances with assists on the goal. Glover helped the Rangers shut the door the rest of the way, finishing with 34 saves in the big 4-3 victory.
Sunday wasn’t as pleasant for the Rangers. After enjoying a Christmas celebration with their families after the big Saturday night win, Parkland fell behind quickly to the hungry Hawks on their way to a 7-2 loss. Three first period goals staked the Hawks to a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The visitors lead was 5-0 late in the second frame when Maddox Shindle finally beat Ryler Gates for a power play tally to trim the lead to four. Ethan McMullan and Campbell picked up assists on the goal. Two more PV goals in the middle of the third were followed by Cash McCallum’s first U18 AAA marker to round out the scoring. McMullan and Cash Clarkson picked up the assists on McCallum’s nifty deflection. Ethan Myhre made 16 saves in the loss for a Rangers team that was without captain Sam Swanton.
Next action for the Rangers is Tuesday, December 19 when they visit Shoal Lake to take on the Yellowhead Chiefs. Game time is 7:30 pm at the rink and on FloHockey.com.
Ranger Ramblings: Former Rangers star and current UND Fighting Hawks captain Riese Gaber was in the house on Saturday night to drop the ceremonial first puck. Gaber’s Fighting Hawks are currently 4th in the NCAA D1 Hockey rankings… Former Ranger Dru Mushmanski scored his first two WHL goals last week for the Regina Pats… The Rangers will be back in action on January 3 after their Christmas break when they travel to the 21-0-1 Brandon Wheat Kings…