After an evenly played first period, the Whitecourt Wolverines were able to take over control of the hockey game and hold off the Lloydminster Bobcats by a score of 3-1 at the Centennial Civic Centre on Wednesday night.
Wilson Northey scored a goal for the second straight game, and Austin McGrath was outstanding with 43 saves on 46 shots in the loss.
After Jaedon Leslie had put the Wolverines up 1-0 early in the first as he knocked in a rebound off of an Evan Tschumi shot, the Bobcats were able to get back into it to knot the game at 1-1.
Bearing into Wolverines territory, Zach Kaiser dropped the puck to a trailing Daniel Hilsendager who walked into the slot and ripped the puck wide on the short side, but the rebound kicked out to the side of the goal where Northey was waiting to put home his fifth goal of the year.
However, the Wolverines jumped back in front before the first intermission when Tanner Foster found a loose puck in the slot and buried his first career AJHL goal to make it 2-1 just 18 seconds before the buzzer sounded to end the period.
Early in the second, the Wolverines extended their lead to 3-1 on a power play as Mitch Lipon threaded a backdoor feed to Colton Meekhoff, who drilled home his 11th of the year just 55 seconds in. From there, McGrath shut the door with a number of ridiculous saves to keep his team within a pair, but the Cats weren't able to convert on a number of chances and fell 3-1.
Special teams were a difference maker tonight as the Bobcats failed to strike on five power play opportunities, while the Wolverines hit the board once in three tries.
McGrath turned aside 43 saves on 46 shots in a sterling performance, while Pierce Diamond locked it down for the Wolverines for the final 50 minutes of the contest.
The Bobcats have now lost seven straight games, and hit the road this weekend for a game in Spruce Grove on Saturday and Drayton Valley on Sunday afternoon.
