BARRHEAD-Anything can happen in a short tournament, especially if a team has some momentum going into it.
That is what Barrhead Bombers head coach Joey McEwan said after the local team defeated the Edmonton Eagles 3-2 March 4 at home.
Going into the game, the Can-Am Junior Hockey League (CAJHL) team sported a record of seven wins, 25 losses and five overtime or shootout losses.
The win avenges the Bomber's loss to the Eagles the previous week when the Edmonton squad eked out a victory in the closing minutes 8-7. On Sunday, March 6, the Bombers defeated the Vegreville Vipers 6-5 at home during Kid's Appreciation Day.
After going down 2-0 in the first period, Barrhead clawed their way back into the game on goals by Carter Zawortny, an unassisted marker and Noah White with an assist going to captain Presley Toth.
In the third period, the Bombers had several opportunities to put the game away with two unsuccessful breakaways and one puck bounce the wrong direction after hitting the goalpost.
However, Toth was able to secure the win for the home squad on a power-play goal (assisted by Zawortny) with just over three minutes left to play when his shot from the top of the faceoff circle found the inside of the crossbar and goalpost. Zawortny, who moments before had the opportunity to score the game-winner, on a breakaway, drew the penalty that led to the goal.
Goaltender Brendan Olson stopped 35 out of 37 shots to earn the win.
"We have a very different team than we started the season with," he said after the Edmonton game.
In mid-February, the Bombers were involved in an elaborate three-team trade that saw Joshua Kochan leave for the Vernal Oilers in exchange for defencemen Oliver Lovely and Talon Bear as well as forwards Blake Thomas, Shawn Paiement and Jacob Tourand.
But the Bombers were not finished tinkering with their lineup.
"It took a while to get the players we wanted all here," McEwan said, noting the last piece of the puzzle was forward Carter Zawortny, who arrived earlier in the week after a more than 30-hour bus ride from Long Beach, Calif, where he was playing with the Shredders in the U.S. Premier Hockey League (USPHL).
Zawortny played for the Bombers in their inaugural season two years ago.
"When you add a player of his calibre, he's been averaging a point-a-game it just raises the calibre of the entire team," he said.
McEwan said he had been in discussion with Zawortny, who is 19, since before Christmas.
"He saw what we are trying to build here, and he wanted to be part of it," he said, noting it probably did not hurt that Zawortny is from Barrhead. "He was definitely by far, the best player on both teams tonight. And if he wouldn't have been so rusty and tired from his long bus trip and been able to capitalize on more of his chances, it could have been easily 7-2."
In addition to adding players in recent weeks, the Bombers have added to their coaching staff, adding local products Mike L'Heureux and Mike Battenfelder.
"Mike (Battenfelder) actually played junior in Barrhead and has coached at every level and being able to add him and Mike (L'Heureux) along with all our other changes, we are positioning ourselves to be a force when it comes time for playoffs.
This year the CAJHL playoffs will be in Cold Lake from April 5-9 in a seeded championship tournament.
"Momentum can play a big part in a short tournament like that," McEwan said. "If we can go into it, carrying some momentum that we've been trying to build, who knows perhaps we can warm up Cold Lake and bring home a championship."
The Bombers next home game is March 12 against the Cold Lake Aeros.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
