IMPROVED VOYAGEURS LOSE HEARTBREAKER TO CLIPPERS

LAC LA BICHE – From disappointment to heartbreak, all within less than 24 hours. Welcome to the Portage College Voyageurs' first weekend of regular season hockey action. Fresh off a 5-0 loss to the Briercrest Clippers, in a game that players admitted afterwards wasn't their best effort, the Voyageurs rebounded nicely on Saturday afternoon at the Bold Center, playing to the final whistle and generating a lot of scoring chances. Unfortunately for the home squad, a miscommunication behind their own net halfway through the third led to the winning goals, as the Clippers skated to a 5-3 victory.

Briercrest Play of the Game Jacob Dale scored two goals (including an empty netter) and added an assist while Daxton Budd, Derrick Lange and Justin Keck added markers for the visitors. Logan Carruthers, Nolan MacDonald, and Xavier Halterman (on a beautiful three-way passing play) replied for the Voyageurs. Shaye Sommerfeld played a strong game, contributing two assists and some big hits, to claim Player of the Game for his team.

"You know, last night, that wasn't really a 5-0 game but to come back and play like we did today was good," said Portage Head Coach Kevin McClelland after the game. "It's tough when you lose games that way, like we just did. If we get that to overtime, we maybe get a nice win there and it's much different for our hockey club. That one's gonna hurt for a while."

On the positive side, the Voyageurs played a stronger defensive and more disciplined game than the night before, holding the Clippers to three powerplay opportunities. They also notched their first powerplay marker of the season, finishing one for six in the game. With 16 new players on his roster, McClelland knows it's going to take some time for his team to gel as a cohesive unit. 

"Yeah, I knew that it was going to be a process this year…There's going to be some growing pains obviously.," he said.

With a bye week ahead prior to heading to Red Deer to take on the Kings, McClelland knows his players and the coaching staff just have to put their noses to the grindstone and keep their spirits up for the results to come.

"We've got to keep the guys positive and know that we're going to be in tough," he said. "This was a team we had a chance to beat. We'll be facing some stiffer competition coming up here soon so we've gotta keep working at it, work together as a group and find ways to get things done."