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Dragons improve record

The Dragons picked up four of a possible six points last week as they split their time between home and away.
It was the biggest crowd so far this season on Tuesday, October 24, when area students crowded into the Drumheller Memorial Arena for Hockey Hooky Day. 1,210 fans watched the Dragons take on the Olds Grizzlys.
The Dragons started out strong and Jacob Goudreau opened the scoring at the midway point of the first period. This was followed up by Connor Poffenroth seven minutes later on the powerplay. Olds added one at the end of the first period, as the Dragons led 2-1 after one.
Kai Matthew scored on the powerplay in the second and Easton Adrian did the same in the third period as the Dragons carried a 4-1 win.
Whatever energy the Dragons had on Tuesday afternoon had disappeared by Thursday night, October 26 as the Dragons hosted the Okotoks Oilers. The Dragons were outshot 21-2 in the first period alone and by then were already trailing by four goals. Coy Pighin added one early in the second, but Okotoks added three more to make it 7-1 after two periods. Adam Raesler scored his 11th of the season early in the third period, but that was as much offence as the Dragons could come up with, falling 7-2.
On Friday, October 27, the Dragons regrouped on a road trip to take on the Sherwood Park Crusaders. Sherwood Park scored first, but Aiden LaRose followed it up to tie the game. The Crusaders connected against lead 2-1 after one. Raesler got hot in the second period scoring two and taking the lead 3-2. The third period saw a performance from Goudreau as he scored two. Jordan Luk added one with 49 seconds left, as the Dragons went on to a 6-2 win.
The Dragons are not back on the ice until this Friday, November 3, when they take on the Spruce Grove Saints. On Saturday they host the Crusaders.

Bantam Titans host league final Saturday

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The Bantam Titans topped Ponoka in their semi-final at home and are ready to take on Olds in the championship on their own turf.
On Saturday, October 28, the Bantam Titans hosted the Ponoka Broncs in the league semifinal. The two teams had met previously this season with the Titans getting the win. This time the Broncs came out much improved, but the Titans battled through to a 42-6 win.
“It was a very solid performance all around,” said coach Brad Iverson. “They were a tougher test this time. They went on a roll and won three games, so they were much tougher, and we knew they would be.”
He said the Titans had a balanced approach with a solid performance on both offence and defensive end.
“It was a well-rounded effort. They (Ponoka ) put up a lot of points in the last few games, and our defence really held them. They were really solid, especially in the second half when we had a decent lead. Defense just shut them down,” said Iverson. “We just kept battling because we had a few penalties and a few turnovers, so the offence wasn’t quite clicking as well as it had all year. In the end, we put up points when we had to and had a really solid victory.”
Iverson says they are grateful the team was challenged because it helps them prepare for adversity, especially going into the finals versus Olds. The two undefeated teams in the league will be meeting at DVSS Field this coming Saturday.
“Olds are a very solid team. They are undefeated as well, and have won very much like we have this year. So it is a battle between the two top teams,” said Iverson. “We haven’t seen them, so we are kind of new to each other. So it will be a battle for sure.”

Dragons struggle with top teams on road

The Dragons had a tough week facing strong opponents on the road.
The Dragons were in Blackfalds, on Tuesday, October 17 to take on the first-place Bulldogs.
Drumheller drew first blood on Tuesday night, as Nolan Viesner scored his first of the season six minutes into the game. The Bulldogs added two, but Cyle Clayton scored one to tie the game after the first period.
Kai Matthew put the Dragons up early in the second, but Blackfalds rattled off two to retake the lead. Adam Raesler tied it up again but the Bulldogs kept up the pressure, leading 6-4 after two periods. Aiden Connell drew the Dragons closer with two and a half minutes left, but the Bulldogs sealed it, winning 7-5.
On Friday, October 20, the Dragons took on the second-place Bandits in Brooks. The Dragons were able to get off 17 shots, but none of them connected, as the Bandits went on to a 5-0 win.
On Saturday, it was Deja Vu all over again as the Dragons took to the ice in Brooks to face the Bandits. Adam Raesler scored just 18 seconds into the game, but that was all they could get as Brooks tied it in the first period and added three more in the third to take the 4-1 win.
The Dragons have a two-game home stand, starting on Tuesday, October 24, as they faced the Olds Grizzlys at noon at the annual Hooky Hockey game. Students from area schools are invited to watch a matinee game. Results are not available at press time. On Thursday night, October 26, they host the Okotoks Oilers and on Friday, October 27 they face they travel to Sherwood Park to take on the Crusaders.