The Grande Prairie Storm are returning to Bonnetts Energy Centre this week down by two in their series against the Whitecourt Wolverines.
Whitecourt found their way onto the score sheet to start Fridays game one match up, with Grande Prairie following suite finding the back of the Wolverines net twice before the end of the first period. Jaxson Ruthven and Zachary Wilson’s goals would give the visiting Storm team a 2-1 lead heading into the second and third periods. In the last eleven seconds of the third period the hometown Wolverines tied up the game 2 – 2, forcing overtime. A overtime decision saw Whitecourt win the first game of the playoff series.
Saturdays game saw the Wolverines dominate the first period of play, finding the back of the visiting teams net three times, giving them a 3 – 0 lead heading into the second period. The hometown team would score the lone goal in the second period, extending their lead to 4 – 0 as they went into the third. Ruthven scored the Storms lone goal of the game. The Wolverines won the second game 4 – 1 extending their lead in the best of seven series by two.
Storm goaltender Connor Mackenzie faced 100 shots over the two games (49 Friday and 51 Saturday). On Friday, Wolverines goaltender Lochlan Gordan faced 25 shots, while on Saturday, Ben Charette faced 20.
The round one series will return to Grande Prairie on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the Storm host the Wolverines at Bonnets Energy Centre.