The Blackfalds Wranglers remained in striking distance of the Red Deer Vipers in the battle for first place in the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League with a pair of wins.
The Wranglers, who sit four points back of the Vipers and with a game in hand, beat the Airdrie Thunder 5-2 at home Sunday after downing the High River Flyers 7-1 Friday.
Riley Hansen, Karson French, Bryce Veuger, Jared Ramstead and Scott Maetche scored once each for the Wranglers, who led 2-1 and 3-2 by periods. Alex Didiuck and Kristian Petit connected for the Thunder, who had 21 shots on Blackfalds netminder Layne Swier. The Wranglers had 43 shots on Jeff Gardner.
On Friday, the Wranglers scored twice in the opening period and added four goals in the second to take control of the game.
Ramstead scored twice for the Wranglers with Chance Abbott, Wyatt Fraser, French, Veuger and Kyle Maas potting single markers. Alex Pronchuk scored for the Flyers at 10:59 of the third period to spoil Tanner Schalin’s shutout bid. Schalin finished with 15 saves while his mates had 38 shots on a pair of High River netminders.
Meanwhile, the Vipers downed the Medicine Hat Cubs 8-2 at the Arena Saturday.
Kolton Gillett led the Vipers with three goals while David Foord, Cullyn Dunham, Stephen Pietsch, Justin Moir and Lee Fraser added single goals. Dylan Reid and Mason Sabo connected for the Cubs.
Travis Weber finished with 26 saves in goal for Red Deer while Brendon Lies made 51 saves for Medicine Hat.
As well, the Ponoka Stampeders lost 10-3 to the Strathmore Wheatland Kings Sunday and 7-4 to the Thunder Friday.
Brandon Regush, Cody Hagg and Jordan Duthie connected for Ponoka against Strathmore, who got two goals each from Leslie Doore, Ross Fox, Lucas Ford and Nathan Voytechek and singles from Racey Big Snake and Ty Goodeagle.
Aaron Shukin started in goal for Ponoka and made 32 saves on 40 shots over 49 minutes before being replaced by Garret Montour, who finished with 12 saves.
The Stamps had 30 shots on the Kings Matt Shawchuk.
On Friday, Ryan Blades, Duthie, Caycee Littlechild and Mason Milgate scored for the Stampeders against the Thunder.
Petit scored three times for the Thunder with Andrew Bergmann connecting twice and Travis Wallan once.
Montour started for the Stamps and made 10 saves on 14 shots over 12 minutes with Shukin finishing with 29 saves on 32 shots.
Logan Marlow had 29 saves for the Thunder.
In other action Saturday, the Thunder beat the Rimbey Rock 7-1 as Bergmann and Wallan had two goals each and Mitch Duncan, Samuel Yetman and Petit one apiece.
Kyle Stefanyk replied for the Rocky, who had 31 shots on the Thunder’s Gardner. Logan Grundy had 42 saves for the Rock.
On Friday, the Three Hills Thrashers beat the Cochrane Generals 6-4 thanks to unanswered third-period goals by Tyrel Severtson and Joel Harrison. Michael Stoetzel had two goals and Calvin Main and Connor Ablett one each for Three Hills in the second period. Danny McSween had three goals and Jason Labelle one for Cochrane.
Cody Boeckman made 24 saves for Three Hills, who had 51 shots on Kenny Quinn.