Bisons make road adjustments

Justin Seward

Times Reporter

 

The UFA Bisons were able to come up with a more valiant effort in salvaging a weekend split in the Edmonton area on Oct. 25-26. The Bisons fell 7-4 to the St. Albert Raiders and then were able squeeze by the Knights of Columbus Pats 4-3.
In St. Albert, the Bisons just were not able to figure out the smaller ice surface and the angles as the puck seem to be bouncing around a lot.
“When we come up to Edmonton, the rinks are really small, so it’s a whole new game for us. It takes us a game to adjust to how small the rinks are than we’re used to playing in,” said head coach Dan MacDonald.
He felt that the team was able to make adjustments in the second game of the weekend.
“I thought we did real well (the second game), we figured out what we had to do to be successful in a smaller rink. You can’t make the flat passes, you have to chip it off the boards more. You have to get the puck through more from the point and that hard to do in certain situation,” said MacDonald.
“I think we’re really setting a standard of work ethic, we’re really getting a good effort out of the players. I know the score said 7-4 but really it wasn’t, but they seem to score on their chances but at the same time we gave them those chances.”
Barrett Sheen, Davis Sheldon, Trygve Many Guns and Kyle Gordon scored in the loss.
In the Sunday game versus the Pats, it was a game where goals were being traded but the Bisons gave up goals at crucial times in the win.
“We had some bad breakdowns and we gave up goals we shouldn’t give up at bad times. We score a goal and let them back in the game and so we have to overcome those things,” said MacDonald.
Sheldon, Jordan McConnell, Markus Lavallee and Zachary Cox scored in the win.
The Bisons will be on the road next weekend in Grande Prairie on Nov. 1 versus the Storm (1 p.m.) and Nov. 2 against the MLAC Beverly Optimists in Edmonton at 2:15 p.m.