BRIERCREST CLIPS VOYAGEURS IN BACK-TO-BACK MATCHES
LAC LA BICHE –Timing, as the old saying goes, is everything. Right now, the Portage College Voyageurs' clocks are not working as well as they should. Like the switch to standard time a few weeks ago, the men's hockey squad seems to be an hour behind these days – or at least a few minutes off.
For the second consecutive weekend, the Voyageurs hosted a top ACAC squad for two games at the Bold Center. For the second consecutive weekend, they played some excellent hockey and showed they belonged with the big boys. For the second consecutive weekend, they had nothing to show for it, losing 4-2 and 4-1 to the visiting Briercrest Clippers.
"We're in every game," said Head Coach Kevin McClelland after Saturday afternoon's contest. "We're just not playing well at the right times."
And now, the making-the-playoffs clock is already ticking. Tick, tick, tick…
Friday night's contest was a microcosm of the Voyageurs' season to this point: play extremely well against top opponents, even take the lead and dominate portions of the hockey game, only to lose because of an untimely penalty, a bad giveaway or a defensive breakdown. On Friday, it was a two-minute stretch early in the second that proved to be the TSN Turning Point.
Down 2-1 to start the period, the Voyageurs soon found themselves with a lengthy powerplay, after Briercrest took high sticking and slew-footing double minor infractions in quick succession. Although they didn't score on the 5-on-3, the home squad managed to tie the score at two after Ezra Baer potted his first of the season, still with a full two minutes remaining on the slew foot double minor. With the fans in the stands making noise and anticipating more action, it seemed like Portage was about to take control of the hockey game. Instead, the roof caved in. Less than a minute after they'd tied the score, the Voyageurs found themselves down two goals, after allowing not one but two shorthanded goals in quick succession.
"I mean, we get a big goal and tie it up on the powerplay and we're going, 'wow man, we scored!' It's 2-2 and we've still got a two-minute powerplay!" said McClelland after the game. "And then, all of a sudden, at the end of two minutes, it's 4-2 for them. That can't happen. I don't want to say that was the game there but obviously, it was the game."
Despite the loss, the head coach had lots of praise for his troops, especially considering two of their leading scorers were not in the lineup due to injury.
"I thought the guys played well," he said. "That's a pretty good hockey club we're playing. They've been together for four years now and (yet) I don't think we took a back seat to them."
With a rematch less than 24 later, McClelland was hopeful his players could up their game just a little bit more and go for the weekend split.
"We've just got to battle because the team that we're playing against, they're going to be hungry again tomorrow," he said. "We've got to contain their speed a little bit and I think we've got to shoot the puck a little more too….I know they were blocking a lot of shots and were desperate, but we've got to be a lot more desperate and change our angles and shot pucks quicker, I guess."
Tick, tick, tick…
Unfortunately for the Voyageurs, Saturday afternoon's rematch offered more of the same recipe. Down 2-0 after registering only four shots on net in the first period, the home squad rebounded with a much stronger showing the rest of the way. In a penalty-filled game, they held the high-flying Clippers to one powerplay goal and managed to score one of their own, when Payton Mcdonald-Corea blasted his second goal in as many games on the man advantage in the third period. However, as McClelland noted, the goal game after the home squad was already down 3-0 and had squandered other opportunities on the PP when the score was closer.
"We end up getting a powerplay goal but again, at the wrong time," he said. "We've got to get timely powerplay goals and we didn't this afternoon."
While pleased that his players continue to work hard and play through their frustrations, the head coach is losing patience with the untimely penalties and bad giveaways at critical moments. He pointed to Briercrest's third goal as a perfect illustration.
"Just a complete breakdown, someone not knowing what they're doing," he said. "We've got to stop that. That's what been killing us all year and you know, it's getting to the point where you can't say, 'well, this guy's a young guy.' I mean, they've played a few games here now."
Now, after starting the season 2-0, the Voyageurs have lost six straight games, albeit six straight competitive, entertaining games. McClelland knows that the Voyageurs need to right the ship in a hurry, before the whole season goes tick, tick, BOOM! They have a chance to regroup next weekend, as they take on Augustana in a home-and-home series.
In addition to finding some more timely goals, cutting their time in the sin bin will help Portage get things back on track, noted McClelland.
"We get a little undisciplined (at times) and that can't start creeping into our game because the becomes very contagious and we don't want that so we're going to have to nip that in the bud," he said.
Tick, tick, tick…
Nov. 15 Players of the Game
- Briercrest: #10 Brandon Kelly
- Portage: #19 Payton Mcdonald-Corea
Nov. 16 Players of the Game
- Briercrest: #2 Keagan Little
- Portage: #13 Xavier Halterman
