Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader

The Slave Lake Junior Icedogs vaulted past Fox Creek into fourth place in the GMHL West on the weekend, thanks to a pair of victories over the Gibbons Pioneers. The scores were 6 – 4 on Friday at home, and 12 – 5 on Saturday in Gibbons.

Friday’s home game started off with the Icedogs more or less playing down to the level of the visiting team – a desultory sort of effort reflected in a score much closer than it should have been. Saturday things reverted to form.

“Some people may have taken them a bit too lightly,” says coach Gregg Kennedy. “Saturday we started better and maintained it.”

Slave Lake’s big line was again the dominant factor. Nolan Marshall, Loïc Dury and Nolan Janvier accounted for 11 of the team’s 18 goals. Defenceman Austin Gaspar was strong as usual on the offensive side, earning seven points in the two games. His blueline partner Griffin Thiessen had three points in both games.

The two newest Icedogs, Hawk Recollet and Colbie Payne, both got on the scoresheet as well.

Connor Johnson played in net for the Icedogs in Friday’s game, and Francis Iron Jr. got the nod in Saturday’s game in Gibbons.

This Saturday the Icedogs host the Mackenzie Mountaineers. Sunday they are back in Gibbons.

The all-star game is Dec. 20 in Fox Creek. Five Icedogs will participate – goalie Francis Iron, D-man Blake Opikokew and forwards Loïc Dury, Nolan Marshall and Nolan Janvier.