The Noketeu Hockey League opened its 2017-2018 season with four teams on the ice on November 10. The reigning league champions, the Assiniboia Senior Rebels, faced off against the Coronach Merchants, and dropped their first game of the season 6-4 to the visitors.
The game started out slow with both teams testing the other with the play moving up and down the ice before Kevin Powell put the Rebels on the board late in the first period. It was a feisty second period. Cole Hicks of the Merchants tied the game within five minutes and the Merchants scored three more unanswered goals. The Rebels fought back with goals from Derek Lessmeister and Kevin Powell to bring the home team within one point of the visitors. In the third period Zach Fleming and Curtis Noll each scored an unassisted goal for Coronach cementing the visitor’s victory. The Rebels battled back with another goal by Lessmeister but ran out of time.
The second game of opening night saw the Glentworth Thunder meet the Rockglen Nitehawks. The Nitehawks had a promising two goal start in the first period, before Glentworth answered back in the second. The teams traded goals in the third before the Thunder edged 4-3 past the Nitehawks for a win.
The Assiniboia Senior Rebels returned to winning form with a 5-1 lopsided win on the road in Glentworth against the Thunder on November 11.
The Rebels scored early with four unanswered goals, two goals in the first period by Mitch Hollick and Kevin Powell and two in the second from Brett Leslie and Riley Balerud. Austin Grywachewski sealed the victory for the Rebels with a fifth goal in the third period. Glentworth saw a lone goal in the second period from Travis Brisebois, but superb net-minding from Spencer Bushell for the Rebels frustrated the Thunder.
Elsewhere in the Notekeu League. the Coronach Merchants continued their winning streak with a 4-2 win over the Rockglen Nitehawks on November 11. The Nitehawks have now dropped two games on the season.
Rockglen opened the scoring early by Mike Harden with an unassisted goal, but Coronach dominated the second period scoring with two goals, and went on to score two more in the third. The Gravelbourg Hornets opened their season with a 6-2 win defeating the Mossbank Blades on home ice. Gravelbourg came out strong with three unanswered goals in the first period before the Blades netted a goal early in the second.
The next games in the league take place on Friday, November 17. The Assiniboia Rebels travel to Mossbank to meet the Blades, Hodgeville goes to Coronach to take on the undefeated Merchants, and Gravelbourg visits Rockglen to face the Nitehawks. Game action on Saturday, November 18 includes the Assiniboia Rebels visiting Coronach, Gravelbourg hosts Glentworth and Hodgeville is in Mossbank.
