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Warriors edged in NCHL exhibition opener

They didn’t get a win, but the Westlock Senior Warriors were able to get their rookies some ice time, while the vets got the chance to knock off some rust in a 4-3 loss to the Devon Barons Oct. 7 at the Rotary Spirit Centre.
Westlock Warriors coach and team captain Mike Ivey is pulled down during a rush to the Devon Barons’ net Oct. 7. The Warriors dropped the exhibition game 4-3 and now look
Westlock Warriors coach and team captain Mike Ivey is pulled down during a rush to the Devon Barons’ net Oct. 7. The Warriors dropped the exhibition game 4-3 and now look forward to the start of the NCHL regular season Oct. 20 when they host Bonnyville.

They didn’t get a win, but the Westlock Senior Warriors were able to get their rookies some ice time, while the vets got the chance to knock off some rust in a 4-3 loss to the Devon Barons Oct. 7 at the Rotary Spirit Centre.

The Warriors now have a week left to practice before their North Central Alberta Hockey league season officially opens as they host the Bonnyville Pontiacs Oct. 20 before heading out to Morinville to face the Kings Oct. 21.

“It’s our first game of the year, so we’re still getting the shakes out and getting some chemistry going,” said Warriors forward Joshua Ford.

“We’re trying to pick up the tempo, fix some things that were going wrong last year and have better outcomes.”

Showing their speed right out of the gate, the Warriors put themselves on the board just two minutes into the game when Kolbe Waldner rushed the net to sneak a rebound past Barons goaltender Kyle Bailey.

Devon answered back with a goal of its own four minutes later and from there it was a back-and-forth exchange between the two rivals.

While the game was fast-paced and extremely physical both teams were clearly out to have fun. On two occasions players dropped their gloves, only to head to the penalty box with smiles and jokes after their bout.

“There’s a bit of a heated rivalry between us, so we just have to make sure we keep our emotions grounded,” said Ford.

In the end, Devon was able to take the lead in the dying moment of the second period and hang on to it for the rest of the game.

Even though the Warriors lost the game, head coach and team captain Mike Ivey said it was a good start for the club, who missed the playoffs last year.

“I’m liking the team a lot so far,” he said. “The atmosphere is a lot better, we battled hard. I think it’s a good sign of things to come.”

He said the Warriors were looking to be a faster and more aggressive team this season, adding that a number of veterans were lacing up to help restore the Warriors to their former glory.

“We want to use our speed, we have some youth and some good checking forwards,” said Ivey.

“We have a lot of guys coming back, though some couldn’t make it tonight. Combining season, you know.”

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