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Photo courtesy Facebook/Grande Prairie Storm
By Jeff Henson
GP STORM

Storm bounce back with big win over Bobcats

Dec 15, 2019 | 9:30 AM

What a difference 24 hours made for the Grande Prairie Storm.

After a disappointing effort Friday night in a 6-0 loss to Brooks, the Storm bounced back with a total team effort in a 6-1 win over Lloydminster on Saturday night.

“After we went up 1-0, I felt we were starting to get a little bit selfish again, and started to do some things that were not going to generate offence for us.” said coach Matt Keillor. “It started turning into a run-and-gun game, which I did not like.”

“But I felt in the second period, we started getting back to simplifying things such as being physical, being in the right spots and having quick shifts. We wanted all four lines to be going tonight, and I felt that is what gave us the advantage in the third.”

Carter Myrol got the scoring started just 2:03 into the first period, as his fourth of the season started the barrage of 361 teddy bears hitting the ice as part of the club’s annual Teddy Bear Toss event.

Those bears will be turned over to the Grande Prairie Hospital Foundation to be given to patients at the QE II Hospital.

There would be no further scoring until 6:54 of the second period, when Brett Meerman would collect his first career AJHL goal.

“For an ’02 player, (Meerman) is very dynamic. He put up a lot of points in AAA Midget and is kind of figuring his way out much like (Nathan) Morgan did last season as a first year player.” said Keillor. “It takes time sometimes for these guys to figure their way through the league, and figure out what they can and can not get away with.”

Nathaniel Bierd would add another marker almost 10 minutes later to put the home side up 3-0 after 40 minutes.

Austin Schellenberg would pot his first AJHL goal just over seven minutes into the third period, the first of three goals in a span of 4:10 for the Storm to blow open the game.

Sam Erkkila and Brody Dale (PP) would get the other Storm goals before Jayven Leslie of the Bobcats beat Lars Kaliel with 1:26 remaining to break his shut out bid.

The win moved the Storm into a sixth place tie with Drayton Valley, and just one point back of fifth place Fort McMurray.

The Storm do hold three games in hand on both the Oil Barons and Thunder.

They will return to action Tuesday night when they host Whitecourt in their final home game before the Christmas break.

Puck drop is 7:30 at Revolution Place.

by Jeff Henson