Storm forward Lukas Konashuk flashes a smile ahead of his team's 4-0 shutout victory over the Sherwood Park Crusaders Tuesday night (Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff)

By Shaun Penner

Shutout Victory

Storm blank Crusaders to snap winless skid

Oct 13, 2021 | 7:18 AM

The Grande Prairie Storm have snapped their seven-game winless skid.

Blueliners Benjamin Keon and Cameron Vassos each had a pair of goals, captain Nathaniel Bierd had three assists and goaltender Aidan Feddema stopped all 28 shots he faced to lead the Grande Prairie Storm to a 4-0 win over the Sherwood Park Crusaders Tuesday night at the Bonnetts Energy Centre.

The win is just the Storm’s second in 11 games this season, with their only other win coming on Sept. 25, also against Sherwood Park.

With that win in the books, Storm Head Coach and General Manager Mike Vandekamp feels his team has laid out a roadmap on how to win moving forward with the season.

“I thought tonight was a game that was a good template for our team to learn how we can play,” said Vandekamp. “I liked our focus; I liked our effort and liked our discipline. And what do you know? You end up getting a good result like that.”

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The shutout was the first of the young season for the Storm, who have struggled defensively as a team this season, allowing the second-most goals against in the league.

Vandekamp, speaking highly of the shutout performance of Feddema, feels the result was the sign of good defensive play from his team.

“Anytime you get a shutout like that, it’s usually a reflection of how the whole team played.”

The Storm will now prepare themselves for a weekend double-dip on Friday and Saturday in Fort McMurray against the Oil Barons.

Asked whether he felt it was important to pick up a win before heading on the road to face their northern Alberta rivals, Vandekamp said the team needed to get back in the win column regardless of what was ahead on the schedule.

“I think we needed (a win) if we were going to outer space,” Vandekamp said. “Doesn’t matter if we play in Fort McMurray or in Lloydminster, or here at home. If we can play that way, we give ourselves a chance to win any given night.”

The Storm sit with a record of 2-7-2, tied with Sherwood Park for seventh in the North Division.