Herd delivers balanced attack

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

A blown 3-0 lead, which ultimately led to a 4-3 loss to the Lloydminster Bobcats on Dec. 13, did not faze the UFA Bisons.
The local triple-A midget team came back re-energized and determined as they beat the Grande Prairie Storm 7-1 the following day at the Strathmore Family Centre.
“(Saturday) we got off to that great start and you know some breaks went against us and I think it’s how we handled it. We saw a little adversity, we didn’t handle it quite as good, it’s about being invested for 60 minutes not 20,” said assistant coach Sandy Henry. “I thought (Sunday) we kept chipping away and then they make it 2-1, that’s a point on Saturday that we had a little trouble with. But today the guys bared down and we got the next one.”
Henry thought the team really moved the puck in a quick, efficient manner and gained results.
“I think we were really team-oriented (on Sunday), we moved the puck when we had to, we simplified our plays when we got out ahead and our defense was good about getting it out of the zone and lastly we got some big stops when we needed one,” said Henry.
The difference in the win was that the players were not as fragile as they were in the loss.
“I think everyone could feel it on the bench that it totally sucked the enthusiasm out of us and we got to find a way by that. It was 3-3, it wasn’t like we were down three. We played a little looser (on Sunday) and weren’t so fragile as we were on Saturday,” said Henry.
The offence clicked for the second weekend in a row and really showed the teams dominance when they start to skate.
“When we’re making those quick passing decisions and getting the puck moving – we start to get the other team’s defense turning their feet and now we’re hitting them with speed and the puck’s moving. I think our guys were being a lot more responsible in the offensive zone about finding that open lane to shift into,” said Henry.
He believed that they had a chance to win against Lloydminster and it was one of those games when that extra shot did not go in.
“We thought we had a chance to win that game with the adversity but we felt we generated more scoring chances than them. (On Saunday) they go in but that’s because we stayed a little more determined,” said Henry.
Sheen, Conley, Cameron Shorrock, Gary Haden, Jordan McConnell, Trygve Many Guns and Kyle Gordon scored in the win.
Next up for the Bisons will be pair of homes games on Dec. 20 versus the Lethbridge Hurricanes (5:15 p.m.) and on Dec. 21 versus the MLAC Beverly Optimists (2 p.m.) at the Strathmore Family Centre.