Monday marked the beginning of the 2010/2011 season for the Drumheller Dragons, and even though the team took a loss against the Olds Grizzlys, the game was a valuable demonstration of what the new Dragons could do.
The Dragons hosted a 5-4 loss against the Grizzlys Monday evening, with Olds stealing the lead from Drumheller late in the third.
“The score was not what we wanted, but we definitely didn’t lack effort and the game went great,” said head coach Dan Price.
Price said the game, the first exhibition game for the team this year, is a great chance to evaluate the younger players on the team.
“We had contacted Olds and we both agreed we needed to look at our young players,” Price said.
“We learned about each guy, what condition they’re in and if they could handle the pace of an AJHL game.”
The Olds Grizzlys opened up scoring under a minute in a game, and it took almost the entire first period for Dragon Logan Maddin to reply for Drumheller’s first point of the game.
Drumheller took lead in the second with a response to Olds’ equalizer and then one more goal in the period by Curtis Matkin, taking the Dragons into the third with a one point lead.
Olds quickly notched three points against the Dragons in the third, making the game 5-3 before Drumheller’s own Josh Kluck scored to have the final score sit at 5-4.
Monday’s game was a clean one, with little time spent in the sin bin of both teams.
The Dragons just came off their pre-season training camp Sunday which culminated in the second annual Miner’s Cup, an intra-squad game between Teams Black and Orange.
Team Black got the win this year after being beaten by Orange last year.
Dan Price said he loved how the training week went for the team, and is excited to bring the Dragons into the regular season.
The Dragons will be taking on the Kodiaks in Camrose on Friday, September 3, and then will host them at the Memorial Arena on Saturday, at 7:30 p.m.
