After splitting last weekend?s two game home stand, the Sherwood Park Crusaders took the two and a half hour long journey east to Lloydminster, for a pair of matchups with the Bobcats.
The Crusaders got off to a hot start on Friday night, jumping out to a three goal lead in the first ten minutes, thanks to goals by Vincent Scott, Ty Mueller and Caelum Dick. The Bobcats would respond before the end of the period, as a Tyler Schendel marker drew the Cats to within two.
Bobcats rookie forward, Ethan Aucoin continued his torrent pace to start the exhibition season, finding the back of the net for the second consecutive game. The Crusaders fired 11 shots toward the Bobcats net, but Kolby Thornton was up to the task after a rough first, keeping the Bobcats within one heading into the third.
The third was a close one, as the Bobcats pushed for an equalizer. It came down to the wire, with the Bobcats batting one into the net with a second left, but the goal would not stand, as the net had been pushed off.
Jordan Frey made 21 saves for the win, as Kolby Thornton picked up his second loss of the exhibition season, making 29 saves in the process.
Saturday was a much closer affair, as there were no goals to report in the first two periods, as Sherwood Park?s Carson Cherepak and Lloydminster?s Axel Rosenlund were equal to whatever was thrown their way. The second period ended with fisticuffs, as Ashton McNelly and Ben Bygrove were each shown the gate for fighting.
Rookie defenseman Cale Ashcroft fired a shot on goal with 1:17 to go in the third to break the deadlock, as the Crusaders held on the rest of the way to sweep the weekend series over the Bobcats.
Axel Rosenlund made 36 saves in a losing effort, while Cherepak picked up his first shutout in his first game for the Crusaders, with 29 saves.