Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
Devin Bell and Kelvin Neustaeter each scored three goals as the visiting Grande Prairie Athletics outgunned the High Prairie Regals Saturday night at the Sports Palace.
The meaningless game seemed to draw little interest from the players: GP iced only 11 skaters for the game, HP 13. GP is locked into second place in the West Division and will play the Fort St. John Flyers in the playoffs while HP is locked into last in the East Division and will play the Falher Pirates in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, if you liked goals, this was the game for you.
GP took a quick 2-0 lead on goals from Neustaeter and led 3-1 in the first. A last minute goal from Lloyd AhKimNachie – his second of the game – plus two early goals in the second period gave HP a 4-3 lead.
But the Athletics scored five straight goals in under seven minutes to take a commanding 8-4 lead after two periods. Three of the goals came in a 45-second span, one on the power play.
HP closed the gap to 8-5 in the third and had a two-man power play shortly afterwards and hopes of rallying, but GP scored short-handed and it was all but over.
Athletics 10 at Regals 5
Saturday, Jan. 26
First period
1. GP, Kelvin Neustaeter 8 (Andrew Buote, Tyrone Kipling) 9:20
2. GP, Kelvin Neustaeter 9 (Tyrone Kipling, Morgan MacLean) 10:43
3. HP, Lloyd AhKimNachie 9 (Lawrence Anderson, Austin Doan) 14:50
4. GP, Devin Bell 4 (Tyrell Mason, Lyndin Lewis) 16:24
5. HP, Lloyd AhKimNachie 10 (Ross Cowell, Kirk Ruecker) 19:46
Penalty: Mitch Price HP (hooking) 11:21
Second period
6. HP, Isaiah Letendre 6 (Kirk Ruecker, Dakota Conroy) 6:27 (sh)
7. HP, Hector Lamouche 10 (Isaiah Letendre, Dakota Conroy) 8:14 (pp)
8. GP, Devin Bell 5 (Mackenzie Caron, Morgan MacLean) 9:49
9. GP, Lyndin Lewis 4 (Andrew Buote, Paul Larocque) 12:34 (pp)
10. GP, Devin Bell 6 (Morgan MacLean) 12:51
11. GP, Kelvin Neustaeter 10 (Lyndin Lewis, Tyrone Kipling) 13:19
12. GP, Morgan MacLean 5 (Lyndin Lewis, Mackenzie Caron) 16:29
Penalties: Tyrell Mason GP (hooking) 00:43, Lawrence Anderson HP (holding) 4:39, Tyrel Mason GP (interference) 8:04, Ross Cowell HP (holding) 11:33.
Third period
13. HP, Dakota Conroy 4 (Isaiah Letendre, Mitch Price) 4:45 (pp)
14. GP, Mackenzie Caron 11 (Andrew Buote, Paul Larocque) 7:51 (sh)
15. GP, Lyndin Lewis 5 (Tyrone Kipling, Paul Larocque) 18:54
Penalties: Mackenzie Caron GP (elbowing) 3:48, Paul Larocque GP (hooking) 5:12, Tyrell Mason GP (holding) 6:09, Kelvin Neustaeter GP and Lawrence Anderson HP (slashing) 8:31, Devin Bell GP and Hector Lamouche HP (holding) 12:07, Tyrell Mason GP (roughing) and Lawrence Anderson HP (slashing, roughing, misconduct) 14:22, Verny Cunningham HP (holding) 15:52.
Shots on goal:
Grande Prairie 12 19 17 -48
High Prairie 10 15 9 -34 Goaltenders: Athletics, Tyler Boe; Regals, Kent Ryan.
Power Plays: GP 1-5 HP 2-5.
Penalties in Minutes: GP 16; HP 26.