The Portage Terriers won their second game of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup (WCC) with a 3-2 defeat of the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins at Affinity Place on Sunday.
Blake Spiller, head coach and general manager of the Terriers, said they didn’t have enough guys going during the first period as the opening 20 minutes seemed like a feeling out test. He said the Bruins (0-2) were looking to get a win to keep their WCC playoff hopes alive and they were looking to book their ticket to Saturday’s next round, so at the end of the day they’ll take the victory.
“We definitely had a slow start,” said Terriers captain Brad Bowles. “We played pretty good for the last two periods, but we just weren’t capitalizing on our chances. We hit a couple posts and it just wasn’t bouncing our way I think. Their goalie made a couple good saves too.”
The Terriers’ Adam Wowryk potted the only goal of the first period when he snapped a shot top corner glove side from the faceoff dot on Bruins netminder Daniel Wapple. Charles Manley was hit with an elbow 35 seconds later by Wowryk leaving him unconscious near the side boards of the Bruins’ zone. He left the game after the hit and didn’t return.
“He’s got pain through his neck and a headache, so I mean that may be a concussion, it may be not,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. “If he’s ready to play (Tuesday) he’ll certainly play. We’ll let the medical staff look at that and make that decision. That’s not something we’ll mess around with.”
Fellow Bruins defenceman Zach Douglas suffered a questionable hit 2:11 into the second period by Terriers forward Shawn Bowles. Douglas didn’t leave the game, but unlike the two-minute minor given to Wowryk Bowles received a game misconduct.
“It’s one of those bang bang plays that could have went either way,” said Spiller. “It’s (the referee’s) call to make in that situation. It was a tough hit. I thought the guy turned against the boards, so to me maybe a board, but I might be a little bit biased.”
Brad Bowles netted his first of two on the night 8:32 into the second on a power-play scramble where the rebound bounced over to him. It looked like Terriers forward Brandon Stanley made the score 4-1 just under four minutes into the third, but an outstanding save from Wapple kept the score to within two.
“The pass came across and I came across and he went to his backhand and I just reached back and I grabbed it with my glove and just got lucky with it,” said Wapple. “It was probably half a foot away (from the goal line).”
Bruins centre Owen LaClare got the Bruins on the scoreboard for the first time at the WCC 5:50 into the final frame on a rebound off a Jake Fletcher point shot, but Bowles restored the two-goal lead five minutes later on a wraparound. Bruins defenceman Robby McClellan brought the team back to within one with 1:54 left in the game on a shot from the faceoff dot through a screen that went far side on Terriers goalie Nathan Park.
“I think we’ll be fine going forward,” said Wapple. “We just need to play how we played the last 10 minutes.”
