The Lacombe Generals scored five unanswered goals on Sunday to clinch a 6-3 win and beat the Innisfail Eagles for the second time in less than a week.
On Wednesday the Generals crushed the Eagles 9-1 in Lacombe.
Nathan Deck opened the scoring for Lacombe just 28 seconds into the game with a seeing-eye point shot past Eagles goalie Kraymer Barnstable.
From there, the Eagles took off with three straight goals. Tom Mikrut scored from a sharp angle on Jacob Deserres then just a minute later Greg Moore scored his first of the season. Late in the first on the power play, Pete Vandermeer tipped home a point shot from Moore.
“I figured they were going to come hard. We played them four days ago and we got what we wanted out of that. You had to know with the way they are coached, that they weren’t too pleased with that. We were complacent,” Generals head coach Sean Robertson said.
Midway through the second Generals defenceman Ian Barteaux wired a wrist shot from the half wall that got past Barnstable. Dylan Nowakowski tied the game on a one-timer and Travis Granbois poked home a rebound late in the frame on the power play to give Lacombe the lead.
“Puck battles, faceoffs and 1-on-1’s. Just commitment to staying in a battle,” Robertson said about the difference between the first and the second.
Kyle Bailey found the mark late in the third and Billy Marshall closed out the scoring into an empty-net with just 1:34 left in the game.
The two teams combined for 15 minor penalties and it was clear from the opening faceoff there is a lot of dislike between the two squads.
“At the end of the day, it can be a rodeo out there, we want two points. We have to find the line between protecting ourselves and sticking up for each other and also making sure we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot by doing this and that,” Robertson added.
Deserres finished the game with 36 saves while Barnstable made 31 in the Innisfail net.
On Saturday, the Eagles dropped a 6-5 contest in Fort Saskatchewan to the Chiefs. Kyle Dorowicz and Justin Cox each scored twice and Suede Omeasoo also added a tally. Jake Mullen made 31 saves in the loss.
The Generals travelled to Stony Plain Saturday and downed the Eagles 4-2. Alex Macleod, Billy Marshall, Doug Jessey and Jesse Todd had goals for Lacombe in the win. Jessey also added two assists for a three-point night. Steven Stanford made turned aside 17 shots in the victory.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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