Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer

Six different players scored to lead the defending champion Grande Prairie Athletics to a 6-3 win in the opening night of NPHL action.
Calvin Sanders, Max McNeil, Tanner Labbe, Parker Sharp, Sam Bosek and Lyndin Himer-Lewis scored in the win while the Pirates received goals from Trevor Tokarz, Morgan MacLean and Joel Pelletier.
Tokarz’s first period goal gave FAL their only lead of the night. However, Sanders and McNeil scored before the end of the period to give GP a 2-1 lead.
In the second, former GP player Morgan MacLean tied the game 2-2 but Tanner Labbe and Parker Sharp scored before the end of the period to give GP a 4-1 lead. Sharp’s goal – the eventual game-winner – was scored shorthanded as GP took three straight minor penalties late in the frame.
In the third, GP put the game away on goals from Bosek and Himer-Lewis, the latter on a power play.
Pelletier’s power play goal ended the game’s scoring.
The win was GP’s sixth opening night win in eight years and continued a win-loss trend dating back five years. GP has now won eight of their last 10 home openers.
FAL has now lost three of their last four season openers after a stretch where they won seven of eight. FAL had also won 9 of 11 road opening games before the loss.

Pirates 3 at Athletics 6
Friday, Nov. 1

First period
1. FAL, Trevor Tokarz 1 (Jay Anderson, Hector Lamouche) 3:39
2. GP, Calvin Sanders 1 (Marc-Antoine-Viens, Braden Crone) 7:37
3. GP, Max McNeil 1 (Sam Bosek, Riley Boomgaarden) 18:20
Penalties: Rollie Gladue FAL and Chris Lanouette GP (roughing) 8:23, Riley Boomgaarden GP (slashing) 15:05.
Second period
4. FAL, Morgan MacLean 1 (Darren Kramer, Kevin Monfette) 3:05
5. GP, Tanner Labbe 1 (Riley Jebb, Mac McNeil) 4:56
6. GP, Parker Sharp 1 (Tanner Labbe) 17:02 (sh)
Penalties: Riley Boomgaarden GP (misconduct) 4:23, Kevin Monfette FAL (interference) 6:31, Braden Crone GP (slashing, misconduct) 8:55, Riley Jebb GP (slashing) 11:33, Parker Sharp GP (tripping) 14:39, Chris Lanouette GP (boarding) 15:50.
Third period
7. GP, Sam Bosek 1 (Mac McNeil, Parker Sharp) 3:32
8. GP, Lyndin Himer-Lewis 1 (Tanner Labbe) 5:32 (pp)
9. FAL, Joel Pelletier 1 (Kevin Monfette, Morgan MacLean) 9:10 (pp)
Penalties: Jeff Chalifoux FAL (hooking) 5:06, Marc-Antoine-Viens GP (boarding) 7:46, Morgan MacLean FAL (holding) 11:15, Darren Kramer FAL and Chris Lanouette GP (misconducts) 12:39, Matts Maisonneuve FAL (holding) 15:11.
Shots on goal:
Falher 7 13 11 -31
Grande Prairie 17 15 13 -45
Goaltenders: Pirates, Matt MacMinn; Athletics, Kiefer Smiley.
Power Plays: FAL 1-6; GP 1-4.
Penalties in Minutes: FAL 20; GP 44.