Trojans stay patient, earn sweep of Voyageurs

CALGARY, ALTA., (Jan. 12, 2019) — The SAIT Trojans men's hockey team made good on their goal of a four-point weekend.

The Trojans beat the visiting Portage College Voyageurs 4-1 on Saturday afternoon in an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) game played less than 24 hours after an 8-2 decision that went their way Friday night.

"Our focus in the second half, starting with this weekend, was on our defensive structure and our discipline," said Trojans head coach, Brent Devost. "Those two elements were key to us having success offensively last night and today, so I was pretty pleased with the step we took the first weekend out of the gates here."

SAIT improves their ACAC record to 11-5, while Portage falls to 2-12-1.

Like Friday night, Portage started the scoring in the game when they took advantage of a bad turnover in their own end by the Trojans. Jacob Vance was the beneficiary of the turnover, beating SAIT goalie Jordan Cartney (2^nd year, Calgary, Business Administration) top shelf, blocker side for his second goal of the weekend.

"Give Portage credit; they came out guns-a-blazing in the first period and really put us on our heels there for a bit," stated Devost.

The Voyageurs used that momentum to carry the play for the first eight minutes of the second period, before the Trojans got a break when Portage got called for too many men.

SAIT tied things on the ensuing power play when Eric Krienke (2^nd year, Calgary, Business Administration) faked a shot and then found teammate Estian Coetzee (1^st year, Fort McMurray, Alta., Academic Upgrading) alone in front of the net for the easy tap-in.

"The guys stuck with it and know we have a lot of offense in our bag," Devost. "It's just a matter of staying patient and making good on opportunities when we get them, and I think we did a good job of that tonight."

The Trojans waited significantly less time in the third period to take their first lead of the game when Krienke scored his 12^th of the season just 23 seconds into the final frame.

Eight minutes later, Rock Ruschkowksi (1^st year, Calgary, Business Administration) tipped in a point shot from teammate Kevin Massy (3^rd year, Victoria, BC, Business Administration) to give the home side a two-goal lead.

Owen LaClare (2^nd year, Edam, Sask., Power and Process Operations), who has recorded ten assists in just three games against Portage College this season finally scored one against them when he fired a shot from the point that found its way through for his team's second power play marker of the game.

Cartney finished the game with 18 saves, picking up his second win in as many days while filling in for starter Payton Lee (2^nd year, Cranbrook, BC, Power and Process Operations).

"That's what you want from your backup goaltender – a guy you know we can rely on," Devost explained. "Whether we need to give Payton a break, or something else happened, we know we can put Jordan in and be confident in his ability to stop the puck when needed. I was really happy with Carts this weekend."

The Trojans will return to the ice next weekend when they take on the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder in a home-and-home series – Friday night at home at 7pm, Saturday night in Edmonton at 7pm.