The Olds Midget Grizzlys travelled to Strathmore on Friday and won 5-3 in Central Alberta Hockey League action.
The Grizzlys got off to a slow start, trailing 2-0 after the first period. The Grizzlys' penalty killing helped the team out of several short-handed situations, before the players found their stride.
“Our penalty killers played very, very well to keep us in the game. We were short-handed quite a bit throughout the first and second and we were just able to hang in there,” said Joel Hunter, the team's head coach.
“We eventually just broke out in the third and stopped taking penalties … and ended up beating them. It ended up pretty good,” he said.
After a third period goal by Tyson Schmidt pulled the Grizzlys even (Karsten Dagg got the Grizzlys on the board in the second), Dagg, Danton Rodger and Jesse Lamboo scored three unanswered goals in the third to give the Grizzlys the victory.
Hunter said while it's only been a couple of games in a new league, the players work hard and have been able to fight through any challenges they have encountered.
“They don't give up on anything … and they don't take a lot of bad penalties.The team's pretty disciplined and they know they have a job to do and they respond pretty good when their backs are against the wall so far,” he said.
The midget Grizzlys will be playing their home opener on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. against Airdrie while taking on Chestermere the next day at 5 p.m.
