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Warriors post second win of season

Eighty minutes of ice time added up to a win and OT loss for Westlock Senior ‘AA’ Warriors versus the Whitecourt Wild in North Central Hockey league action Friday night at the Rotary Spirit Centre.
Warrior Philip Ferenac fights to the net during a clash with the Whitecourt Wild at the Rotary Spirit Centre Nov. 25. The Warriors netted a 5-3 con-tinuation win against the
Warrior Philip Ferenac fights to the net during a clash with the Whitecourt Wild at the Rotary Spirit Centre Nov. 25. The Warriors netted a 5-3 con-tinuation win against the Wild, but fell 5-4 in a shootout in the second game.

Eighty minutes of ice time added up to a win and OT loss for Westlock Senior ‘AA’ Warriors versus the Whitecourt Wild in North Central Hockey league action Friday night at the Rotary Spirit Centre.

The Warriors finished 5-3 against the Wild in a third-period continuation game from Oct. 30, but couldn’t break the 4-4 tie and lost 5-4 in the OT shootout. The win and OT loss improves the club to 2-7-0-1.

“I think we got tired,” head coach Jonathan Cuneo said. “Eighty minutes is a lot of hockey for anyone, especially for some of these guys that worked all day.”

Hazardous ice conditions at the Mayerthorpe Arena postponing the last third of October’s game — the Warriors rolled into the third period with a 4-2 lead and played out the clock with a strong 5-3 finish.

“That was only 20 minutes and we were able to sit back and they had to fight the clock and we didn’t, so we just kept running the clock on them,” Cuneo said.

Energy was high for the first two periods of the second tilt. The Warriors were up 3-1 at the end of the first, and closed the second with a 4-3 lead.

But things slipped once the game headed into the final stretch. The teams were tied 4-4 in the third and neither could break the tie in a five-minute overtime. Sadly, it was the Wild that netted the shootout victory.

“I thought we played really good for two periods and I think playing the extra period might have thrown us off a bit,” Cuneo said.

“I just thought we sat back and were a little tired, and I think we sat back a little too much. I think we are our own worst enemy.”

Forward Jorry Jensen thought the boys did a good job mentally and physically in the first game, but the Wild came back in the second game’s third to tie and take the win.

“We haven’t been able to close up our games and finish up,” he said. “Just a few mental breakdowns, maybe the four periods are wearing on guys. Other than that, we played a pretty solid game.”

Cuneo has seen the team put things together, but have yet built a complete picture, something they’ll need to work on in practice.

“We’re missing bits and pieces and those bits and pieces always bite us,” he said.

“But we’re getting there. We got three points out of a possible four tonight, so that’s big. It’s better than zero.”

Jensen agreed.

“Keep coming out to games,” he said. “We’ll turn this thing around.”

The Warriors play Daysland Dec. 3 at the Daysland Arena then next home game is Dec. 10 against Slave Lake before hitting the road Dec. 11 to Eckville.

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