Drumheller Dragons | DrumhellerMail

Dragons back on track after win over Grizzlys

   After going four straight without a win, the Drumheller Dragons have broken their streak as of last Friday after a heated game against the Olds Grizzlys.
   The Dragons, along with the rest of the AJHL, headed to Spruce Grove last Thursday for the second annual AJHL showcase. While there, the Dragons faced off against the Sherwood Park Crusaders and the Grizzlys.
   The Dragons first went up against the Crusaders, who they had defeated earlier this season. The Dragons ended up losing 4-3.
   The Crusaders got on the board first late in the first period, after Stephen Doane took a roughing penalty, resulting in a short handed Dragons. Late in the second period, the Crusaders sent two more shots past Dragons goaltender Jameson Shortreed.
   Mitchell Cook got the Dragons on the scoreboard six minutes into the third period, with the assists going to Brodie Jamieson and Ryan Suchorab.
   The Crusaders got their fourth goal soon after, but it was a little controversial.
   “Their fourth goal, quite frankly, shouldn’t have been a goal. The puck was on top of our net and they hit it off with a stick. It should’ve been blown down, but it wasn’t,” said Brian Curran, head coach and general manager of the Dragons.
   In the final minute of the game, the Dragons added two more goals thanks to Brennan Baxandall and Joey Raats.
   “We made a couple mistakes that cost us. We tried to get back in the last couple minutes and got close, but not close enough,” said Curran. “It was 1-0 after the first period and then they scored two more, because we made mistakes at the blue line with the puck.”
   The next day, the Dragons fared better against the Olds Grizzlys, winning 5-4.
   The power play was on fire against the Grizzlys. All five Dragons goals were scored while the Grizzlys were short handed.
   “Our power play picked it up and did some good things, like getting to the net and shooting the puck. We had a 5 on 3 that helped. It’s a good job on our part,” said Curran.
   Brodie Jamieson, who is tied for 11th place among the AJHL leaders, opened the scoring later in the first period. Halfway through the second, the Grizzlys tied it up, but the Dragons retaliated with four more goals by Stephen Doane, Mitchell Cook, Ryan Bloom, and Cavin Leth.
   The Dragons, eager to keep up the pressure in the offensive zone, unfortunately let in two back to back shorthanded goals.
   “They got two short handed goals, because we were up going for more goals and taking chances we shouldn’t have taken,” said Curran. “The second short handed goal was behind our net. Wray didn’t move the puck quickly enough, he got hit, and they managed to stuff the puck in the net.”
   The Grizzlys added one more goal, but it wasn’t enough. The Dragons hung on for the win.
   The game against the Grizzlys was heated.
   “Incidents happened behind the net where there were a lot of guys and it got ugly,” said Curran. “I was proud of our guys, they stood up for each other when Olds tried to intimidate us.”
   The win breaks a four game losing streak for the Dragons. The win puts the team a point by the Calgary Canucks.
   “We came out with the win. It wasn’t the way we wanted, but it got us back on the right track. We have to continue that and hopefully it helps our team stick closer together,” said Curran. “The boys stood behind each other, backed each other, and came out with a good win.”
   The Dragons have three games in three nights this weekend, facing the Grande Prairie Storm, Drayton Valley Thunder, and the Whitecourt Wolverines. The Dragaons return to home ice on October 17, where they will play the Olds Grizzlys.

Dragons drop three straight

    The Drumheller Dragons are struggling as of late, losing their third consecutive game since last Friday.
   The loss gives the Dragons a 2-4 record and puts them in last place of the AJHL southern division, three points behind the Calgary Canucks.
   The Dragons were in Calgary on Tuesday night to face the southern division second place team, the Mustangs.
   The Mustangs got on the scoreboard in the first five minutes of the first period. Brodie Jamieson, with help from Bryton Mills and Brennan Baxandall, retaliated soon after.
   The Mustangs responded with three more goals. Down 4-1, Mitchell Cook scored the Dragons second goal, off of Bryton Mills and Brodie Jamieson. A goal by Ryan Bloom, with assists going to Stephen Doane and Ryan Aasman, brought the score to 4-3 by the end of the first period.
   Blair Wentworth of the Mustangs took a kneeing penalty two minutes into the second period. The Dragons took advantage of the power play opportunity. Stephen Doane, with help from Christopher Rauckman and Brennan Baxandall, tied the game up.
   The score was 4-4 at the end of the second period. The Dragons took the lead five minutes into the third with a goal from Stephen Doane, assists going to Dakota Zaharichuk and Brodie Jamieson.
   However, it would not last. The Mustangs came back and scored two more goals with just under 10 minutes left in the game. The Dragons couldn’t retaliate and lost by a narrow 6-5.
   “We’ve had some really good opportunities. We haven’t played our best hockey, but I think we deserve a little better outcome than what we’ve been getting,” said Brian Curran, head coach and general manager of the Drumheller Dragons. “We had three cross-bars, a goal post, missed an empty net, and we had one puck in the slot we missed. The opportunities are there.”
   The priority for the next game will be to strengthen the defensive aspect of their game.
   “I think we have to tighten up on our defence and capitalize on our chances. We need a commitment more to our zone and bear down on those opportunities in our zone. We need our goaltending to be a bit stronger too,” said Curran.
   “I think the boys are working hard, but have to stop doing all these fly-bys and get more physical, bumping, and finishing our checks a little more.”
   The Dragons headed to Spruce Grove for the AJHL Showcase last night. The Dragons faced the Sherwood Park Crusaders yesterday evening and will go up against the Olds Grizzlys tonight. The Dragons return to Drumheller on October 17.

Stephen Doane races to secure a loose puck in the offensive zone at the Dragons season opener earlier this month. Doane was given the Away Star in the Dragons game against the Calgary Mustangs on Tuesday. The Dragons lost 6-5, but Doane racked up one goal and one assist during the game.

Dragons batter Crusaders for second win of season

   It was an exciting night for Dragons fans this past Friday. In a physical game against the invading Sherwood Park Crusaders, the Dragons triumphed 2-0.
   The game got off to a physical start for both teams. Play was halted several times as players nearly came to blows after the whistle had sounded.
   The referees were mostly able to restore order, except when the Dragons disagreed with Bowen Croft of the Crusaders when he dished out a nasty check from behind. The ensuing rumble between the Dragons and Crusaders resulted in four roughing penalties, and Croft was ejected from the game.
   “As an ex coach of a northern team we always came to the south knowing we just had to be physical. We knew Sherwood Park would come in and try to run rough over us,” said Dragons head coach and general manager, Brian Curran.
   “I was probably happiest to see a game where a bunch of players worked their tails off and it was physical and emotional. If you don’t have emotion in a hockey game, there’s something wrong with you. The boys stood up for each other, backed each other up, they cared about each other, and they didn’t let Sherwood Park run them out of the building.”
   Amidst those heated moments, the Dragons were able to capitalize on a power play at 8:27 into the first period. Mitchell Cook, off of Ryan Aasman and Dakota Zaharichuk. For nearly the rest of the game, the score remained 1-0.
   Aasman has been something of a play maker in the first several games of the season, with 3 assists in as many games.
   “Ryan has always had that ability for as long as I can remember. He’s very smooth and a significant part of our defence,” said Curran.
   With less than a minute left in the game, the Crusaders pulled their goalie in the hopes an extra attacker would help tie the game up. Dragons forward Brodie Jamieson took advantage of the wide open net and gave the Dragons their second goal of the game.
   Jamieson has three goals so far this season.
   “He’s been tenacious, on the puck all the time, and one of the veterans that I am pleased with his work ethic. He’s been skating very hard. He’s a guy that wants this team to be successful,” said Curran.
   Jamieson and Aasman currently share the most points on the team with rookie Dakota Zaharichuk, with three apiece.
   The Dragons star of the game, however, was goaltender Christopher Wray, who earned a shut out by stopping all 28 shots sent his way, including a couple breakways by the Crusaders.
   “I thought it was a good game on both sides. I would’ve liked to capitalize on some of our power plays, we had some good chances, but their goalie played very well,” said Curran. “Wray faced two breakaways and did a great job on those. Their goalie made some good saves and a couple that I don’t know how he got across to them, but he did.”
   The Dragons have so far earned a 2-1 record this season, placing them in a tie for third place in the southern division with the Canmore Eagles.
   The Dragons will be hitting the road for their next two games. On Friday, the Dragons will be in Canmore to clip the wings of the Eagles. On Sunday, the Dragons will once again be in Calgary to face the Canucks. The Dragons remain in Calgary to face the Mustangs on Tuesday.
   The Dragons won’t return to the Drumheller Memorial Arena until October 17.

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