Storm lose heart breaker Saturday night at home

Dec 31, 2017 | 7:18 AM

The Grande Prairie Storm and Spruce Grove Saints met for the second time in as many nights Saturday at Revolution Place, and it was a similar result for the Storm as they dropped a 4-3 decision.

Spruce Grove would jump out to a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds into the contest, and it would be the Saints sustaining that pressure throughout the majority of the opening frame.

In the middle stanza, the Storm would even up the game on the man advantage as Noah Walters would bang home the loose rebound following a one-timer from the blue line.

The Storm would then get into some penalty trouble near the end of the middle frame which cost them as the Saints would bury two consecutive power play goals to take a 3-1 advantage into the third period.

Grande Prairie would come out guns a blazing in the third period and they would be rewarded.

Just 1:34 into the final frame, Connor Blake would rife one bar down short side past Saints netminder Easton Hesse to get the Storm back to within one, and then with 5:46 remaining Justin Bernier would tie up the game at 3 off of a great pass in front from Dallas Comeau.

However, in the dying moments, Parker Saretsky of the Spruce Grove Saints would find the AJHL’s leading goal scorer Chris Van Os-Shaw alone in front who would net the game-winner with just 6.9 seconds on the clock to lift Spruce Grove to the 4-3 win. The goal was Van Os-Shaw’s 2nd of the night, 32nd goal of the season, and his 4th goal against the Storm in the two games this weekend.

The loss drops the Storm’s record to 17-17-3 on the year.

Grande Prairie will look to get back in the win column Thursday night as the Storm begin a three-game road trip in Drayton Valley.

by Jeromy Corrigan