It was a slippery start for the Barrhead Renegades when they played their first game of the regular season Nov. 1.
The game was a close one, however the boys missed out on a victory against Wetaskiwin in the end, with a final score of 2-1.
The Friday night game had a slow start, with neither team able to land a goal. The puck was brought to one end of the ice, then back to the other with no scoring action to be seen.
The second period was very much the same. Despite Barrhead’s best efforts, the boys found themselves against players with equal skill.
Then, with just 58 seconds left in period two, the Renegades had their moment. Barrhead player Darion Jinks sped down the ice and, with an assist from Renegade Dustin Kochan, scored the first goal of the game.
The outcome of the game was looking promising for the Barrhead boys. Unfortunately this would be the last goal against Wetaskiwin.
Despite another scoreless 15 minutes in the third period, Wetaskiwin swiftly began to fight back. With just under five minutes to go, Wetaskiwin tied the game 1-1.
A mere 20 seconds later Wetaskiwin slipped the puck past Barrhead’s goalie for a second time, bringing the score to 2-1.
Though they tried valiantly in those final minutes, Barrhead couldn’t get the shot they needed to tie the game up again.
Renegades head coach Todd Marsh said the boys started off extremely slow against Wetaskiwin, not skating or passing in the first period. In the second though, the Renegades pulled up their socks and began engaging.
“We got some shots on net. At that point the boys started to come around and realized they needed to move,” said Marsh. “We played, overall, a very good second period.”
The third period however was a different story. There was a four minute stint in the final period where the Renegades fell apart, said Marsh.
“We just wouldn’t move our feet, we couldn’t make a pass, and we paid for it,” he said. “The second goal, that was the losing goal for us. We got a little slow.”
For the most part, the Renegades dominated their pre-season.
The boys kicked off the hockey season with a game against Onoway, which they won 6-0 on Oct. 13. Next Barrhead faced Devon, and won 5-3 on Oct. 20. The Renegades claimed another win of 7-0 against Westlock Oct. 26.
The winning streak came to an end Oct. 27 against Leduc, where the boys lost 5-2.
Marsh said the team has suffered since they lost three players early on in the season due to injuries. The first two games of the year were much more organized, he said.
“We have a number of injuries out right now, and it’s really confused our lines,” said Marsh. “We’re having new line mates playing together and it’s very difficult for them to gel right now.”
When players get used to their new lines however, Marsh said he thinks the games will go much smoother
“Once they do and learn where each other are at, we’ll see a few more scoring chances,” said Marsh. “That’s exactly what we’re missing, is shots on net.”
