TRADITIONAL BIG GAME BRINGS OUT THE BEST LACROSSE

At the beginning of each year the Edmonton Miners and the Sherwood Park Outlaws look at their schedules and circle those games that they play each other as it is always the biggest games of the year for each of them. Last night was no exception as the two met for the first time this year at Bill Hunter Arena. The game was played in front of 325 fans and all were treated to a very exciting game.

This game was dominated by the goal tenders, Jon Marrese for the Miners and John Jenkins for the Outlaws. Clearly the best performance I have seen this year and it reflected in the final score. The defense was pretty good for both teams however each were able to find holes and get inside only to be denied by the tenders. No one was able to find the net until half the period was over when Ryan Polny took a pass from Dan Claffey and fired the ball to the short side to give the Miners a 1-0 lead. The lead only lasted 2 minutes when Kevin Howard beat his defender and blasted one to the top corner. The Miners then regained the lead with Neil Tichkowsky getting inside and firing the ball to the top corner. The Outlaws responded with a power play marker when Marwan Jomha broke in and fired a low shot to tie the game 2-2. This was Jomha’s return from a one year absence and he did not show any signs of rust.

The second period was all goal tending and defense. The only goal came from Jomha who took the pass from Kevin Howard and beat his defender to make the score 3-2 at the 12:54 mark. The rest of the period was dominated by the goalies who made some great saves including the save of the night when Cole Howell was sent in home free, who made a number of great fakes to put Jenkins on his knees, however when Howell fired the ball to the top corner he was denied by the stick of Jenkins. The period was fast and hard hitting but relatively clean. Lots of opportunities but few results. The score after two 3-2 Outlaws.

The teams came out flying in the third but it was only the Miners who were able to find the net. At 17:24 Greg Whitenect got free on a break away and faked left before going right to tie the game. The game remained tied until the only glaring mistake of the game was made. With time running out on the shot clock Polny fired the ball from a bad angle just to get a shot at the net however it somehow found its way past Jenkin’s feet to give the Miners a 4-3 lead. A minute later the Miners got the insurance goal from Tichkowsky and that was the final goal of the game. 5-3 Miners.

Although there was not much scoring it was a very entertaining game. Both teams played hard but there was little in the way of cheap stuff. The pace was very fast and the teams played some of their best lacrosse of the year so far. I think that are looking over their schedules again to see when they meet again.

RED DEER RAGE AND EDMONTON MINERS CLASH IN RED DEER

The Miners traveled to Red Deer on Saturday night to take on the Rage. Both teams were coming off impressive victories the night before and both had expectations of keeping their winning streaks alive. As in each of their previous games, goal tending would be a big factor. In goal for the Miners was Dave Marrese and for the Rage call up Matt Howard. Early in the game the Miners has several clear chances but were stoned by Howard. This all changed at the 14:35 mark when the Miners Andy Kent forced a turn over by the Rage defense and fired a bounce shot to make it 1-0. Kent was at it again two minutes later when he followed his outside shot to pick up the rebound. Red Deer responded with a goal less then a minute later when Jamie Achtemichuk got inside. Edmonton then got its third goal on the fast break when Dan Claffey found Cole Howell breaking in who then made a nice move to score the Miner’s third goal. At the 6:18 mark Greg Whitenect broke down the floor on his second break away of the period and this time was successful. Score after one was 4-1.

The second period was much like the first. The Miners were getting good chances but Howard stood tall and the Rage would break up the floor and had a number of breakaways only to be denied by Marrese. No one could find the net until Whitenect got his third breakaway and he fired the ball low to make the score 5-1. Kent then got his hat trick goal before Neil Tichkowsky put the Miners up 7-1. Achtemichuk fired his second of the night to finish the Rage scoring for the night and the last goal of the period.

The third was pretty quiet with the only goal coming in the last three minutes. Kyle Weiher scored his first of the season on a nice play beating his defender and driving to the net. The final score was 8-2.

The Rage also showed that they are a much changed team on the bench and their new attitude showed on the floor. Although the Rage did not have the talent of the Miners they put up a good show with a solid work ethic. In the end it was not enough. The Miners were too fast and moved the ball well. Brent Ranierie and Neil Berg were the refs and did a good job although both teams stuck to playing lacrosse and therefore were not called upon too often to having to make any tough decisions.

The Miners were also treated to Red Deer hospitality at the end of the night with a BBQ which was very much appreciated.

Points:
Miners: Kent (3,1); Howell (1,2); Whitenect (2,0); Tichkowsky (1,0); Weiher (1,0); Claffey (0,1); Wilhelm (0,3); Hartzell (0,1); Boyd (0,1); Marrese (0,1); Hyzser-wierenga (0,1)

Raiders: Achtemichuk (2,0); Flett (0,2); McRobbie (0,2).

MINERS AND RAMS MEET FOR THE SECOND TIME.

On a rare Thursday night game in the RMLL Sr./Jr. A league the Edmonton Miners and the St. Albert Rams met for the second time this year. The last game was the first of the season for both teams and since then they have traveled different paths, the Miners heading into the game with a 3-1 record and the Rams yet to get a win.

The first period was very fast paced with lots of action and lots of mistakes. Both teams pressed the other’s defense and tried to get their chances early in their possessions. The Rams had the best chances early getting inside the Miners defense but Miners starter Jon Marrese stood tall and frustrated the Rams. At the other end the Rams defense showed vast improvement from the first game and gave their goalie Chris Standing support and he responded with some great saves. Both teams however were plagued with mistakes with miss passes and missed opportunities. Finally the Miners took advantage of a Rams turnover at centre and Tony Reid sent the recently returned Dan Claffey in who had all day to beat Standing. The first goal did not come until the 13 minute mark. There would only be one more goal in the period and that would be from Kyle Weiher who got inside for an unassisted goal. 2-0 after one.

The second period continued to be wide open and sloppy but this time with a few more goals. The Miners started it off early. A minute into the period Cole Howell moved in one on one off the fast break and turned and fired the ball to the top corner. The Rams responded with their first goal when the Miner’s assistant coach Graham Hartl made a nice move to the net and hit the top corner to make the score 3-1. Miners then responded with Howell’s second before Mike Kosh responded for the Rams. Drew Howell then made it 4-3 with his first goal as a senior and his first goal against his former team. The Miners then got the last of the period when Chris Schmidt fired one from the outside to give the Miner a 5-3 going into the third.

The third period was all Miners as their conditioning kicked in and they settled their play down. On their first two possessions they executed two nice plays to allow the Miners to pull away. Howell’s hat trick goal and Dan Hartzell’s first of the season gave the Miners a 7-3 lead and all the momentum. The Rams tried to get back into it with Kosh’s second of the game but two quick ones by the Miner’s Claffey and Ryan Polny put the game away for the Miners. Tony Reid and Polny put up another two markers before D. Howell responded to make the score 11-5. The final goal came with less then a minute left when Greg Whitenecht made a nice shot off a break away to end the game 12-5.

The game was hard hitting but fairly clean. The Miners were handed 13 minutes in penalties and the Rams took 10. Jim Shelley and Lee Carlyle called a good game and let the boys play. There were a lot of mistakes by both teams which will have to be corrected. The Rams continue to improve. The addition of D Howell gives them a much needed lift on offense and their defense is coming together. They showed a lot more composure out there and played a better team game. The Miners were very energetic and won this game on their individual talents. They will have to show better execution and more composure if they want to make an impact come playoff time.

The Miners next game is next Friday against the Outlaws at Bill Hunter Arena at 8 pm and then on the road against the Red Deer Rage on Saturday at Kinex arena at 8 pm.

RAIDERS AND MINERS DO FAMILIAR DANCE IN THEIR FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON.

The Edmonton Miners and Calgary Raiders met for the first time this year at Bill Hunter Arena and one could not help but think of how much this game was like their last meeting of the play offs last year. The intensity was the same, the tempo of the game the same and the result the same. Both teams appeared to want to set the tone for the remainder of the season and after the game it would appear that both would go home with the idea that something had been accomplished.

The first ten minutes of the game was reserved for feeling out each other. The play was sloppy and the defense appeared to be more interested in making their presence known then actually stopping the offence. The results were a number of good opportunities by each team but were stopped by the fine goal tending of both goalies, Billy Mooney of the Raiders and Dave Marrese for the Miners. No one could make an impact until 11:54 when Chris Schmidt made a fine individual effort breaking through and beating Mooney. However off the face off the Raiders immediately came back and Jeff Lapp tied the game. The teams then exchanged power play goals before the Miners took advantage of two opportunities with Schmidt getting his second of the night and Matt Wiebe scoring on a nice feed from Schmidt. Weibe moved across the net faking Mooney and firing it into the open net. The score was 4-2 after one. The game was fast paced and fairly well played for an early season game. Both teams were undisciplined with the Miners taking 22 minutes and the Raiders 24 minutes in penalties. A couple of fights, rookie Aiden Inglis taking on Rob Dyer in a close one with perhaps Dyer getting the win on points and then Greg Whitenecht getting it on with Keegan Davidson. Both players tied each other up pretty well but Whitenecht did land a couple of overhand blows and gets a narrow decision.

In the second the Raiders came out of the gate flying and within the first three minutes brought the game to within one with newcomer Drew Comeau getting the first of three on the night. They then tied the game with his second. The score was 4-4 for only 30 seconds before the Miners got back on track and took control of the period. It started with a fast break goal by rookie Will Roadhouse who seemed to have little shoot at but found an opening on his breakaway. Seconds later the Raiders took a holding penalty and paid the price when Shaun Wilhelm broke in and fired a shot over Mooney’s shoulder for the Miners second power play goal. From there the Miners took off. Whitenecht beat his man one on one and blew the ball past the tender. That was followed by Wilhelm’s outside shoot and a fast break goal by Whitenecht who made a nice shot low. That ended the night for Mooney and Rick Kerr took over. In the last minute Neil Tichkowsky took advantage of Raider penalty and the Miners got their third power play goal and the Miners were fully in control with a 10-4 lead heading into the third period.

Notwithstanding that the Miners had seen this situation before and knew that they could not change their style of play they backed themselves into a defensive stance and as happened last year the Raiders took advantage of it. At first it looked as if the old strategy might work because the Miners were bending but not breaking, giving up good opportunities but the Raiders did not capitalize, however at 15:54 that changes when Andrew Kirkaldy fired an outside shot past Marrese. Three minutes later the Raiders were on the power play and Davidson blasted another outside shot to bring the Raiders one more goal closer. The Miners were running around on defense, giving up the ball much too easily which resulted in a highsticking penalty. Lapp took advantage of the power play to make the score 10-7. Kyle Hanson then got another outside shot that beat Marrese. That was it for starter Dave Marrese, enter big brother Jon however that did not seem to make difference as Comeau broke in and fired a nice shot over Marrese’s shoulder to bring the Raiders to within one goal. At that point it was not clear if the Miners could stop the bleeding as they were continuing to lose their poise and turned the ball over time and again. However on the next face off which was won by the Miners, Neil Tichkowsky took the ball from behind the net beat his defender and made a nice shot to give the Miners at two goal lead and help them regain their confidence. A minute later Schmidt got his hat trick with another nice individual move to make the final score 12-9 for the Miners.

This was the best game of the year for the Miners and the competition they have faced. They will have to be more focused if they expect to be successful. As for the Raiders they continue to improve. Both teams will look forward to the return of their veterans from school and the next opportunity to face each other. The game was fairly clean as for the most part the teams were interested in lacrosse. The referees Lorenz and Adam Crowe did a good job controlling the game.

Miner’s next game is on Saturday May 14th as they take on the Sr. Raiders in Calgary.

MINERS HAMMER THE CALGARY MOUNTAINEERS

In a game that was expected to be a hard fought affair and a real test turned out to be an old fashion whuppin by the Edmonton Miners at the Bill Hunter Arena. The Mountaineers who have a reputation of traveling with a short bench came up less then a full squad but more then usual, with 13 runners and goaltender Rick Windle.

In the first 8 minutes it looked like the Mounties might have enough to do the Miners in as they controlled the ball and peppered Miner’s starting goalie, Steve Jaqusch with a number of shots only to be shut down, All of the loose balls ended up in the Mountaineers stick and they got a few looks at the net but were not able to put one in. At 12:34 that all changed when the Miner’s Andy Kent took the pass from Ryan Polny and threw a couple of fakes before putting it past Windle to make it 1-0. After that it was all Miners. A minute later it was Polny’s turn as he worked his way in and fired it in. At 9:48 it was 3-0 when Will Roadhouse got his first goal in Jr. A. He picked up the ball just before center and went in on a breakaway and fired the ball like he been there before. The Mounties showed a little life when Jeremy Chayne beat the Miner defender and then blew it past Jaqusch to make it 3-1 but that would be as close as it would get as the Miners fired three more before the end of the period. First it was Mark Malayko and then Aiden Inglis scored his second goal of the season off a breakaway. Neil Tichkowsky finished the period breaking in and making the score 6-1. After the first 7 minutes it was all Miners and clearly this game was all but over.

In the second period it was more of the same. Andrew Dixon continued his torrid scoring streak with his second in as many games with a nice move inside. Two minutes later it was Greg Whitenecht who chased down a loose ball on a fast break and found Shawn Wilhelm open in front of the open net as Windle went behind the net. Windle pushed the net to the side but the referees called it a goal. Tichkowsky got his second followed by a breakaway goal from Jeremy Boyd with a nice shot low to Windle’s left side. Whitenecht got the next two before Roadhouse got his second of the night to give the Miners a 13-1 lead. Clearly the Mounties did not want to be there any longer then they had to be and requested that the third period be run straight time. Clearly the Miners did not want to be there either and agreed.

In the third period both teams played out the game and little happened. Tony Reid got his first of the season before John Kilbride replied for the Mounties on a power play. The final goal of the game from Tichkowsky for his third of the game. The game ended 15-2. Credit has to go out to the Mountaineers who held their frustration in check which could have gotten out of hand as the score got more lopsided. Referees Lorenz and Shelley did a very good job.

The Miners got 2 power play goals and two short handed. They were led by Whitenecht, a defender with 6 points (2,4) and Andy Kent, 6 points (1,5) and Tichkowsky who had 4 points (3,1)

Next game is May 7th at 9 pm against the Calgary Raiders.