The Spruce Grove Saints (0-1-0-0) will look for their first win of the season in their first road game of the 2024-25 campaign as they head south to Eagle Builders Centre to take on the Blackfalds Bulldogs (0-1-0-0) on Saturday night.
How To Follow:
Tickets: bit.ly/TIXTRASEPT27
Listen: FREE Audio Stream
Watch: FloHockey
Breakdown:
Spruce Grove:
Overall Record: 1-1-0-0 (7th in Interior Conference – 12th in BCHL)
Home Record: 0-1-0-0
Road Record: 1-0-0-0
Power Play: 4-for-7 (57.1% – 2nd in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 6-for-6 (100% – T-1st in BCHL)
Trail:
Overall Record: 2-0-0-0 (4th in Interior Conference – 6th in BCHL)
Home Record: 2-0-0-0
Road Record: 0-0-0-0
Power Play: 2-for-9 (22.2% – 13th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 6-for-9 (66.7% – 13th in BCHL)
Season Series:
Friday, September 27th @ Grant Fuhr Arena (7:00 PM)
Friday, November 1st @ Cominco Arena (8:00 PM)
Friday, January 3rd @ Cominco Arena (8:00 PM)
Friday, February 21st @ Grant Fuhr Arena (7:00 PM)
Looking Back:
The Saints are coming off of their first win of the season on Saturday night in Blackfalds after scoring seven times in earning a 7-2 win over the Bulldogs at Eagle Builders Centre. Austin Peters tallied twice in the game while Josh Polak, Owen Leckelt, Stephen Kirkpatrick, Ryan Johnstone and Colin Doherty added singles in the victory while Xander Miceli earned his first BCHL win in making 26 saves on 28 shots.
Trail is on the road for the first time this season following a pair of home ice victories to begin their year, capping off the weekend in dramatic fashion in a 4-3 triumph in overtime over the West Kelowna Warriors. Jason Stefanek, Jack Ziliotto and Noah Ziskie scored in regulation before Lucas Lemieux won the game in extra time. Teagan Kendrick turned aside 34 of the 37 shots thrown his way for his 2nd win of the season.
Saints Leading Scorers:
Josh Polak (2-3-5)
Austin Peters (3-0-3)
Colin Doherty (1-1-2)
Ryan Johnstone (1-1-2)
Stephen Kirkpatrick (1-1-2)
Smoke Eaters Leading Scorers:
Jason Stefanek (3-0-3)
Lucas Lemieux (2-1-3)
Jack Ziliotto (2-0-2)
Evan Sundar (1-1-2)
Ridge Dawson (0-2-2)
Who’s Hot:
Spruce Grove:
- Austin Peters – Forward – Winnipeg, Manitoba – University of Maine
A pair of goals in the Saints second game of the season has Peters with more markers this season (3) than he had all of last year in Chilliwack with the Chiefs (2) and has been terrific on a line with Josh Polak and Max Seguin to start the season. Peters, along with his linemate Polak, has tallied in back-to-back games to begin the season and is tied with seven other players for the early season lead in goals in the league.
- Colin Doherty – Sherwood Park, Alberta
After totaling almost a point-per-game and over 100 penalty minutes last season as a member of the Grande Prairie Storm, Doherty has brought that same spunk to the Saints lineup in adding a goal and an assist in the team’s win over Blackfalds on Saturday. The Sherwood Park, AB native collected what was his first career BCHL goal in getting the marker on the final Saints goal of the night.
Trail:
- Jason Stefanek – Forward – Yorba Linda, California – Dartmouth University
Entering his second season with the Smoke Eaters and third overall in the BCHL (after playing a season with the Wenatchee Wild before their move to the Western Hockey League), Stefanek has started the season on a strong goal scoring stretch, tallying twice in the team’s opening night win over the Vernon Vipers and finding the back of the net again the next night against West Kelowna. The Dartmouth commit has over 100 games of BCHL experience and has scored 30 goals while adding 35 assists for 65 points in that stretch of time.
- Evan Sundar – Forward – St. Albert, Alberta – University of Minnesota State-Mankato
Making his return to Spruce Grove, the former Saint will certainly have had this game circled on his calendar after spending parts of three seasons with the organization. The Minnesota State-Mankato commit has gotten off to a strong start offensively, earning a goal and an assist in his team’s first two games following 107 games with the Saints and tallying 57 points during that time.
The Saints and Smoke Eaters meet for the first time this season on Friday night in Spruce Grove and the first of four matchups with puck drop slated for 7:00 PM at Grant Fuhr Arena. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.sprucegrovesaints.ca.
