Bisons blitz CAC Distributors

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

The CFR Chemicals Bisons wrapped up their first half of the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) season with a pair of wins at the Strathmore Family Centre.
General manager Wayne Hansen has been with the club for 12 years and commented that this was the best start to any season he has seen.
Rightfully so: the Bisons (16-0-2) haven’t been on the wrong side of the box score through 18 games.
“It’s no secret that we have an extremely skilled team. Sometimes it’s tough being on top, you face all the number one goalies and teams game plan all week for you,” said Bisons assistant coach Paden Grant. “I gotta give credit to the guys, we couldn’t have asked for a better first half. Their work ethic is still there at practice and they take pride in this record.”
The Bisons picked up their 16th win with a 6-3 dumping of the Canadian Athletic Club Gregg Distributors (5-10-2) Nov. 26 in a rematch of the 2014-15 AMHL final.
The Herd dominated from the drop of the puck; cycling the puck down low, unloading shots on net with continuous pressure.
Striking first was the Herd’s top line of Zach Huber, Jackson Salt and Payton Krebs. Huber notched his 11th goal seven minutes in from Salt and Krebs. Tyson Scott netted his fourth of the season 25 seconds later from Tyler Petrie and Kaden Hanas.
Liam Belcourt was sent away for cross checking, when Krebs broke up a d-to-d pass and was off on a breakaway. Gifted with an array of moves, Krebs kept it simple and sniped the five-hole.
Tarun Fizer buried his second game winner on the weekend when captain Brett Trentham found him camped out in front of the net. Wasting no time, Fizer piped a wrister right through Nate Reinhart with enough juice to squeak over the line, ending Reinhart’s day. The fourth-round selection by the Victoria Cougars leads the AMHL with four game-winning goals.
“It’s fun to score anytime. Tonight, Brett put the puck right on my stick; I wasn’t really expecting it to go in, but I’ll take it,” said Fizer, who played for the Rockyview Raiders bantam AAA last season and racked up 33 goals and 57 points in 36 games.
“If Tarun keeps playing his game in a straight line and simplifies it, he’s going to have a great season,” said Grant. “He’s one hell of a player.”
Blake Wells has points in four straight games and added a pair of snipes to put the finishing touches on the Distributors.
Adding to his highlight reel, Wells out-waited a pair of defenders and a sprawling netminder, circling through the slot and firing into an open cage. For his second goal, he caught a pass from Boaz Bassen in his skates, kicked it up to his stick and rifled it bar down.
After a slow start to the season, Wells has really heated up since undressing Calgary Flames netminder Benjamin Howard on a penalty shot back on Oct. 30.
“I think I am moving the puck better, my vision in the offensive zone is coming along and I’m playing really well with my line mates,” said Wells, who is tied for the team lead with 11 goals.
Ben Laidlaw picked up his league-leading 10th win when he stopped 22 of 24 shots. He was under siege in the second when the Distributors stormed out of the intermission with a pair of quick goals, but recovered nicely in the end.
The Bisons opened the weekend when they skated to a 2-1 victory over the Maple Leaf Athletic Club Beverly Optimists (5-11-1).
Wells and Fizer recorded the goals on plays from Joel Krahenbil, Cayde Augustine, Bassen and Trentham.
Returning to the blue ice was Hunter Young, who missed the previous seven games after sustaining an upper-body injury one practice. He recorded 14 saves as he moves to 5-0-1.
“It was great to see Hunts back in net. He was playing great before he got hurt and it can be tough coming off the bench and being thrown into the fire, but he was solid,” said Grant.
The Bisons travel to the Sherwood Park Arena Dec. 3 to take the Sherwood Park J. Ennis Kings (13-1-3). The Bisons will then take on the St. Albert Tire Warehouse Tigers (6-10-1) Dec. 4 at Akinsdale Arena.
The Bisons next home game is slated for Dec. 9 when the Calgary Royals (11-3-3) roll into the Strathmore Family Centre.